Growing up, I vividly remember football Sundays with the smell of chili simmering on the stove. Chili in our house was an all day affair with a family recipe from Cincinnati that was served over spaghetti. The spice of this particular chili was my favorite part, until I married a man that dislikes all things spice! Now with toddlers and jam packed evenings, traditional chili is a rare occurrence. I am so glad a friend shared a recipe for sweet maple chili with me a few years ago! This recipe is sweet, protein packed, and only takes 30 minutes to cook. We regularly add this sweet maple chili to our rotation for busy weeknights when I need something hearty. We have used various beans and meats in this recipe to mix things up and it’s always delicious. This sweet chili recipe also makes for amazing leftovers and you can dress it up with noodles if you have pasta loving toddlers like we do! Try it out during your next busy stretch or when you are looking for way to use meat from the freezer.
Sweet Maple Chili
Ingredients
- 4 cups kidney beans Drained, any variety you prefer (I use half dark and half light)
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs ground chuck Use any type of meat you want
- 1.5 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until softened.
- Add meat while stirring to keep it loose and crumbly.
- Cook until browned.
- Drain and discard fat (as needed, depending on meat used.)
- Add kidney beans, pepper, salt, chili powder, allspice, tomato sauce, maple syrup and 2 cups water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook partially covered for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve chili with cheese on top if preferred. Serve with noodles, saltine crackers or french bread as preferred.
- Enjoy!
All the best,
Leave a Reply