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Who doesn't love a big pot of chili, especially on a cold evening? I had some friends over on Saturday night and we all enjoyed sitting around, eating chili, and watching a movie together. Chili is one of those things where everyone has their own recipe. There are just too many ways to make it! Have no fear, I'll cover a few variations in this post.

What You Need

Ingredients
I'm going to create a basic template of ingredients here.

* The Proteins: (Select one pound)
Ground beef
Ground buffalo
Ground turkey
Ground vegetarian protein (e.g. Boca Crumbles)

* The Vegetables: (Select four or five)
1 cup diced onions
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 diced bell pepper
1 cup diced eggplant
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup roasted and chopped chili peppers
1 cup diced summer squash

* The Beans: (Select one 16-oz can - I prefer canned, but dried are fine, just reconstitute first, and be aware that if you use dried beans, you will to simmer them for 3 hours in salted water beforehand.)
Black beans
Pinto beans
Kidney beans

* The Seasonings: (Select one or two)
2 tbsp. ground chipotle
2 to 3 tbsp. ground dried chiles of your choice (pasilla is milder, anaheim and serrano are spicier)
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. ground cocoa powder - this mixes very well with red chiles, but don't use this if you're adding cumin, oregano or chipotle.)
1 tbsp. finely ground coffee beans - like ground chocolate, it mixes well with red chiles.

* The Liquids: (Select one)
1/2 a bottle of pale ale
1/2 a bottle of a dark brown beer, like porter
If you don't want to use beer, you can add half a cup of water. However, the liquid from the canned tomatoes should be enough.

* The Must-Haves:
1 28-oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes, with liquid
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

* The Garnishes: (Select as many as you want)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded cheddar
Shredded hot pepper jack cheese
Sour cream
Raw diced onions
Chopped scallions
Diced avocado
Crumbled Fritos

Tools
A sharp knife
A cutting board
A big pot

Instructions

1. Brown the protein in a large pot. Remove, set aside, drain the fats.

2. Add 2 tbsp. of canola oil to the pan and cook the vegetables until soft. Add the protein back to the pot and add the seasonings.

3. Add the beans, tomatoes, and liquids. Add salt & pepper and taste. Adjust seasonings if needed. Let simmer, partially covered, for a hour. Stir every 20 minutes.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with garnishes of your choice.

(Images: Kathryn Hill)