Non-Chili Lovers Beef "Chili"

Chili is one of those dishes that give just about everything you could need; vegetables, meat, fat, and flavor in one warm, easy to cook meal. However, I have never been a big fan of the chili flavor. But everything else this dish provides is right up my ally. I had to do something!

So I am not sure if this recipe can actually be considered chili since technically, there is no chilies or chili powder in it! But according to Wikipedia, my version it does have all of the other basics of this classic wintertime stew; peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and beef. Additionally, my version gets its bulk from tomatoes, celery, and carrots, and flavor from paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, and a dash of cayenne pepper. For my first official pot of "chili", delish!

Non-Chili Lovers Beef "Chili"

The Food
- 1lb ground beef (or pork, chicken, turkey, bison, a mix of any...)
- 1 yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2-3 stalks celery
- 2-3 carrots, or 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, no salt added
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbs olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbs paprika
- 1 Tbs dried oregano
- 1 Tbs dried basil
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cumin
- dash of cayenne pepper

The Prep
In a food processor, pulse the onions and garlic to fine chop; set aside
In the same processor, pulse the bell pepper, celery, and carrots (in batches if necessary); set aside

The Method
Heat 1-1 1/2 Tbs olive in a large sauce pan over medium, medium-high heat
Add onions and garlic to soften, about 4-6 minutes
Add ground beef  **if you want crisper meat, brown the meat in smaller batches in a separate skillet; with my method you will essentially steam the meat and it will be nice and soft**
When meat is basically cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, use a slotted spoon to set meat mixture aside on a plate
Discard dripping in the pan
Add the remaining oil of the pan
Add vegetables to soften, about 4-6 minutes
Add can of crushed tomatoes
Add spices to the pan
Add meat mixture back to the pan
Add the broth
Mix everything around real nice
Turn heat down to medium-low
Cover, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes
Uncover and let cook another 15 minutes to boil off some of the liquid
Try to let it cool off just a bit before you indulge yourself

Enjoy :)