Chili - Like Wendy's

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Mother's Day menu was different this year. The Eugene Marathon was scheduled for that morning and because I was a participant, I knew little cooking would be done for the remainder of the day. Trouble was, if we followed true to form, there would be lots of drop-in company following the race. I wanted to offer those who came hungry, something simple to eat. The Silver Fox and I tossed about menu ideas and we finally settled on hot dogs, chili, coleslaw and biscuits. Decidedly inelegant for Mother's Day, but given the drop-in nature of the day, and the fact that only Bob would be cooking, it had to be simple. I have two very nice recipes for chili, but I thought this occasion would give me the opportunity to try a CopyKat version of Wendy's chili. The recipe appeared sound and it was favorably reviewed, so I made several batches of it a couple of days before we planned to serve it. This is a nice recipe, but I do have a couple of suggestions to make regarding its preparation. Several years ago I had a cup of Wendy's chili in Canada, where it was called Chili Soup because there was so much liquid in the cup. I noted the same thing when I made the CopyKat recipe. Fortunately, this is an easy problem to correct. You can simmer the soup to reduce the amount of liquid in the pot, or you can follow any of the other suggestions that can be found here. I also used a good deal more cumin than is called for in the recipe below. While this is primarily a matter of taste, I recommend you use one to two tablespoons of cumin to give your chili it a true south-of-the-border flair. I do hope you'll try this recipe. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Here is how it's made.


Chili - Like Wendy's...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of CopyKat Recipes

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh ground beef
1 quart tomato juice
1 (29-ounce) can tomato purée
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 medium-large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup chili powder (use less for milder chili)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (use more for real flavor)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off fat. Put beef and the remaining ingredients in a 6-quart pot. Cover pot and let the chili simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. You can also cook this in a slow cooker on low for 3 to 4 hours. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

             One Year Ago Today:                                                                Two Years Ago Today:

Book Review - Au Revoir to All That                                      Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

            Three Years Ago Today:                                                                   Four Years Ago Today:

      Strawberry and Lemon Crush                                               Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce