Football Food: Healthy Chili Recipe

I have 3 great reasons to make chili soon:

1. Frigid temperatures around the U.S.  It has dropped into the low teens in Charlotte this week – that’s quite cold for Southerners!

2. Football watching.  NFL playoffs this weekend and the college football national championship on Monday all call for comforting, tailgate food such as this recipe.

3. This chili is HEALTHY.  January is prime time for making healthy eating resolutions, and one of mine is to eat little to no grains.  This chili has grass-fed beef, extra vegetables, no added sugar, and qualifies as clean eating.

This chili recipe could very easily be paleo.  I added the black beans, but they aren’t necessary, and without them, and if you left off the cheese, it would qualify as paleo.

For toppings, I’ve used raw milk cheddar cheese, lime juice, hot sauce, and avocado.

Healthy Beef and Vegetable Chili

• 1 lb (16 oz) ground grass-fed beef
• 2 zucchini, chopped small
• 5 carrots, chopped small
• 1/2 onion, chopped small
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans tomato sauce (just tomatoes and water, no sugar)
• 2 c. organic, free range or homemade broth (I used chicken)
• 1/4 c. (little less than) chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

In a large, heavy stockpot or French/dutch oven, brown the ground beef.  Let it cook, stirring and breaking it up until it is in small pieces and cooked through.  Remove the beef and set aside.

Add a couple tablespoons of broth, plus the zucchini, carrot, and onion to the pot and cook until soft.  Place the black beans, tomato sauce, broth, beef, and seasonings (besides the salt and pepper) into the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook on low for at least 4 hours.  (The longer it simmers, the heartier it will become as it cooks down).  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with garnishes such as grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, lime juice, cilantro, salsa, hot sauce.

Enjoy! Thank you for reading!