Beef Bacon Bean and Chipotle Pepper Chili

Beef Bacon Bean and Chipotle Pepper Chili is full of chunks of beef, bacon and hearty beans in a smokey and spicy chipotle sauce.  It's a meal that any meat lover will dive into with gusto. 

I made this chili for my meat loving husband and son.  They simple adored the chunks of beef with each forkful of this chili.  I usually make my chili recipes with ground meat, but this time I wanted to make the beef stand out with all this flavor going on in the chili so I decided to buy beef chuck and cute the chili beef into cubes.  I really put the chili over the top with the addition of bacon that was there with each bite. 

I love working with chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and I really made this chili hot and spicy by using a whole can.  Now, you can always just add one, two or three peppers if you prefer a more manageable heat level.   My guys and family can definitely handle the heat and they love it so I just went for it with the whole can. 
* Remember this makes a big pot of chili so using a whole can of chipotle in adobo is not too crazy.

I added beans to the chili not only to make it a bit heartier, but to tone down the richness with all the meat in the dish as well.  It really stretched out this recipe by almost doubling the amount of chili by adding the beans.  This way the boys got a lot of meat with each bite, but they also got some of those healthy beans too.  It's all about a bit of balance.  This chili is certainly rich and over the top so I'm not saying it is an every day or weekly chili to make, but it's certainly a fantastic chili to make for the big game day this fall/winter while you cozy up on the couch and cheer for your team.

Beef Bacon Bean and Chipotle Pepper Chili
Recipe by Ramona from Kitchen Simmer

Ingredients:
2 1/2 -3lb boneless beef chuck cut into bite-size cubes
5-6 slices bacon cut into small pieces
2 medium onions finely chopped
2-3 stalks celery finely chopped
1 can chipotle pepper in adobo sauce(as much you as like)
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
2 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbs cumin powder
3 Tbs Chili powder (used for chili con carne)
1 cup water
2 (15oz) cans kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can Bush's vegetarian baked beans (substitute 1 can navy beans and 1 Tbs brown sugar)

Garnishes:
Fresh avocado 
finely diced red onion
sliced jalapeno peppers 
sour cream
grated cheese

Directions:

Step one: chop bacon and saute until they start to become crispy.  Drain bacon onto paper towel and reserve until later.   

Step 2: On high heat, use 4-5 Tbs of the bacon fat to brown the beef.  Season beef well with salt and black pepper while browning in the bacon fat. 

Next add the onion and celery to the browned beef and saute for 3-4 minutes.   

Step 3: In a food processor or blender blend together chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (as much as you wish. I used the whole can but that is very spicy. If you want medium spicy use 2 peppers and some adobe sauce. Reserve blended sauce until later.

Step 4: Next add the dried spices of oregano, cumin and chili powder.  Important:  This chili powder is a mix of spices that are used for chili dishes like this or Mexican style cooking.  It is not to be confused with red chili powder that is made of ground red chili peppers. Saute beef with spices for a minute or two. 

Next add the canned diced tomato and the blended chipotle chili in adobo sauce.  Rinse the food processor or blender with the 1 cup of water and add to the pot.   Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 hours with a lid on the pot.  Occasionally check and and stir the beef to make sure the liquid level is thick and saucy, but not dry.

Step 5: Finally add the canned beans and the cooked bacon to the pot.  Cook for another 10 minutes and taste for seasoning. Note: If you do not have the Bush's Vegetarian Beans, just substitute more beans and brown sugar as suggested above. I like the sweetness the Bush's gives to the dish, but the brown sugar can give the same flavor to the dish. This gives the chili and spicy and sweet flavor profile.

 Serve hot in bowls with recommended garnishes. 

 
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