Cold as the Great White North?  Head South of the Border

Oh, sure.  Winter starts off innocent enough.  The beautiful fall leaves fall and give way to crunchy walks through the crisp autumn air.  Eventually after we’ve stuffed ourselves absurdly full of turkey and stuffing, the fall seamlessly transitions into snowflakes, hot cocoa and the occasional fat man in a red suit.  The pristine shine of fresh snow and the way it brings out the stars and the moon is the stuff that romantic comedies are made of...

...and then comes freakin’ January.

Let’s be real:  Come January, we are ALL sick of the cold, dreary, and miserable winter.
Enough with the scraping our cars, defrosting windows, frozen pipes, and general misery of winter.  Enough wearing fifteen layers of scarves, hats, mittens, and sweaters.  Enough jamming our feet into hideous boots.

E-N-O-U-G-H!

By January, we’re all desperate for a little heat.  We want some spice back in our lives.  The kind of heat and warmth that reaches down into the icy tundra of our hearts and brings back the glimmer of hope that winter will someday go back into the miserable chilly wasteland from whence it came.

...or maybe that’s just us.

Either way, a fabulous way to find warmth in the frozen nooks and crannies of our collective hearts is with good old fashioned comfort food.  Something that can please everyone, whether they’re tailgating or stuck inside on a snow day.  Something that does more than merely warm our bellies, but thaws our very wintery souls.
Chili, you guys.  We’re talking about chili.

Chili is the classic go-to meal when you want something to light a fire in your belly and create the kind of comfort that sticks to your ribs.  Chili is the greatest soldier against

The Chill.

With the help of our masterfully assembled “Yes We Mexi-Can” spice blend, you can do your part in fighting the freeze.  No longer will we stand idly by and let the ice-covered  misery of never-ending winter leave us frozen.  Together we will conquer the cold.  Battle the bitter.  Nip the nippy.

Yes.  We Mexi-Can, indeed!

Ingredients

• 1 Onion (any variety will do with the exception of green onion aka scallions)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 lb Ground Beef (we prefer 85% as it has a great meat to fat ratio, but you can vary this depending on your meat to fat preference)
• 2 1/2-3 Tbs Wayaward Gourmet Yes We Mexi-Can Spice Blend (it’s not insanely hot, so if you’re looking for a bit more heat, feel free to add more. We made it as fool-proof as possible to ensure you won’t over-do it with any one herb or spice)
• 1 (14.5 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) Can Red Kidney Beans
• Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese (optional)

1. Peel and chop the onion to measure 1 cup. Peel and mince the Garlic.
2. In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Completely drain. Return beef mixture to the saucepan.
3. Add Yes We Mexi-Can and tomatoes.
4. Heat the mixture to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cover with lid; cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the beans with their liquid. Heat to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cook uncovered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.
6. Serve and top with shredded cheese. (Mmmmmm...)

THAT'S IT! This isn't one of those long, slow cooker recipes that has to cook all day. As much as we love the slow cooker, sometimes we don't plan far enough ahead to get it going.This recipe can be made an hour before eating and you'll be good to go!

Let us know how it turned out, we love to see your creations on Instagram #WaywardGourmet and Twitter @WaywardGourmet. Send em to us and we'll post your deliciousness on our site.