Milli VaChili

It’s that time of year, folks. The leaves are changing, the weather’s turning cold, families gather for the holidays… Wouldn’t it be nice to warm up with a nice hearty bowl of chili? I thought so. So for this post, I’ve decided to share an award-winning chili recipe.

Last year, my friend Kelly and I competed in a chili-cookoff and won with this recipe. We actually didn’t invent the recipe but rather found it online and renamed it Milli VaChili. But it has some interesting ingredients that make for a great and interesting flavor. Some of the unusual ingredients include dark beer, coffee, and cocoa.

If you feel like kicking your chili recipe up a notch, try out this chili. It doesn’t disappoint.

Serving size – 8

INGREDIENTS 

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* 2 onions, chopped

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 pound ground beef

* 3/4 pound beef sirloin, cubed

* 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice

* 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle dark beer

* 1 cup strongly brewed coffee

* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

* 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

* 3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

* 1 tablespoon cumin seeds

* 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

* 1 teaspoon ground coriander

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans

* 4 fresh hot chili peppers, seeded and chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions, garlic, ground beef and cubed sirloin in oil for 10 minutes, or until the meat is well browned and the onions are tender.

2. Mix in the diced tomatoes with juice, dark beer, coffee, tomato paste and beef broth. Season with brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, coriander and salt. Stir in 2 cans of the beans and hot chile peppers. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Stir in the 2 remaining cans of beans, and simmer for another 30 minutes.