See Aimee Cook: Cowboy Chili

This quick cooking and hearty chili is bursting with beef, beans, tomatoes, and a few of my favorite Texas ingredients!

Chili is a staple during football season - probably because it's easy to feed a crowd (and keep warm for an entire game!) and so darn versatile. This chili is thick enough to be scooped with Fritos (hello!) or just as tasty dished into bowls and topped with gooey melted cheese. There is nothing worse than a thin chili :)

My husband is a huge Cowboys fan so it made sense to whip up a Cowboy Chili for football season! Texas chili typically has no beans but this Cowboy Chili has two kinds: traditional kidney beans and a Texas favorite, Ranch Style! To kick up the spice a tad, and as another nod to a Texas favorite, I included a can of Rotel along with a can of fire roasted tomatoes. If you love spice, you could sub Rotel for the fire roasted, too. To thicken it up, I used a Mexican food staple and added a masa harina and water slurry. It gives the chili a slight corn flavor in the backgound and thickens it up nicely.

Cowboy Chili
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can Ranch Style Beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) bottle beer, preferably dark like a porter, stout, or brown ale
1 (~15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel tomatoes (original kind)
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons masa harina (*see note below)
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for topping

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the ground beef is browned and the onions are soft and translucent. Drain any excess fat and return to heat.

Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper; stir to combine and let cook 1 minute. Add the Ranch Style Beans (and its liquid), fire roasted tomatoes (and its juices), and bottle of beer. Stir to combine. Add the drained and rinsed kidney beans and Rotel tomatoes (and its juices). Stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and masa harina. Add to the chili and stir to combine. Let simmer 3-4 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, along with additional chili powder if desired. *If chili is still not thick enough for your taste, combine another 1/3 cup water and 2 tablespoons masa harina in a small bowl, whisk, and add to the chili.

Ladle into bowls and top with cheese before serving. Chili will continue thickening as it cools.

Football season is well underway! To celebrate, I've joined a group of bloggers from all over the country to bring you football-inspired recipes. Last month, we shared our favorite tailgating recipes (I shared these amazing Texas Toothpicks!) and now we're sharing more than 60 recipes that are perfect for game day! Click on their links to check them out!

Note: This post is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by the National Football League (NFL) or any of its teams. All opinions and views expressed on our blogs are our own, not that of the NFL and/or any of its 32 teams. Any team names, logos, or other symbols referenced are properties of their respective organizations. We are just big fans - and we want to share our love for our teams, the game, and the food that brings us all together on game day.