Christmas Chili

By kimvess

Ingredients

• 2 11 ounce cans tomatillos, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed*
• 1 small fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded*
• 2 14 1/2 ounce cans fire-roasted whole or diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
• 1 cup chopped green sweet peppers (2 small)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15 - 16 ounce cans kidney beans and/or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• Desired toppers, such as sliced avocado, chopped green onions, sour cream, snipped fresh cilantro, and/or shredded cheddar cheese

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 105mins
Adapted from bhg.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

1.
In a blender or food processor combine tomatillos, the 3/4 cup cilantro, the ancho chiles, and jalapeno pepper. Cover and blend or process until smooth**; set aside. Add tomatoes to blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth; set aside.

2.
Lightly season beef with salt and black pepper. In a Dutch oven cook half of the beef in 1 tablespoon of the oil until nearly brown. Remove from Dutch oven; drain off fat. Cook the remaining beef in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until nearly brown. Stir in onions, sweet peppers, and garlic. Cook and stir until meat is brown and vegetables are tender; drain off fat. Return all of the beef to Dutch oven.

3.
Stir in tomatillo mixture, pureed tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder, and oregano. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour or until beef is tender and chili is desired consistency. Serve with desired toppers.

*Tip:
Because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.
**Tip:
If mixture is hard to blend, add a portion of the liquid from the tomatoes to make blending easier.