Bowl o' Chili

I had every intention of making a huge pot of chili for the 4th of July, but it didn't get made until Tuesday. I pre-browned the ground beef in oil in the Le Crueset on Saturday (6 lbs. of ground beef)...This can be done 2 days before and refrigerated. I remove the pot from the fridge, scoop the meat into a large bowl...To the same pot I add oil and then saute 5 medium sized onions (I used 3.5 large yellow onions, sliced relatively thin) and add in 5 whole crushed cloves of garlic. Cook until translucent. Then add in 2 cans of tomato paste. Cook until the tomato paste caramellizes. Add in 4 C of water stir to combine. Then I use the hand blender to puree everything. Add the meat back to the pot along with approximately (since I don't measure...I just pour or shake into the pot) 3T chili powder, 1 T ground cayenne pepper, 1 T sweet paprika, 2 tsp. ground cumin, one can of mild green chiles diced (I buy whole chiles and dice them, but you can use the diced canned chiles instead...may need 2 cans). Add another cup or so of water...Stir well, bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours (stirring occasionally). Stir in a handful of Quaker oats (learned this thickening trick from my friend Megan from pastry school) and continue to cook and stir for another hour.

Serve with grated cheddar, sour cream, onions...We like it over rice, but it would be delish on it's own or over Fritos too!

This chili tastes even better the next day! I usually freeze some too!