Recipe- My Dad's Famous Chili

Today is a double posting day, because I couldn't resist putting my dad's chili recipe up tonight. I am incredibly excited by the fact that I finally made chili today. Yes, I know that I'm a nerd, but there is a good reason. I have been DYING for a big stock pot to make soup and chili in (the hubby's stock of pots & pans being sadly lacking), and I finally got one. It's adorable...it's a pretty soft yellow, and it's huge enough to make anything that my heart desires. So tonight, I made chili.

The recipe is super simple, and it always turns out well. If you're the kind of person who needs really clear and precise instructions, I'm sorry, because this is the kind of recipe where you just kind of wing it. There aren't really any real amounts of stuff that you need to put in, but I'll approximate what I used today:

Ingredients:

• I tbsp vegetable oil
  
• 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 lbs ground beef (extra lean)
• 3 cans stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans red kidney beans
• 1 can romano beans
• 3 cups of quartered white mushrooms
• 4 tbsp. chili powder, or to taste

Instructions:

• Saute the onions in the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot until translucent.
  
• Add the ground beef. Cook until brown.
  
• Add tomatoes (with their liquid).
  
• Rinse the beans under cold water in a colander. Add to the stock pot.
  
• Simmer over medium heat until most of the liquid is evaporated (this will take at least an hour or more).
  
• Add the chili powder and mushrooms.
• Simmer until all of the liquid is evaporated and the chili is thick enough that a spoon will stand upright in it.
  
• Serve with condiments (sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, Tabasco sauce) or for purists like my family and I, serve with a loaf of really good quality Italian bread for dipping and a glass of milk.
  

That's it! Super easy, stick-to-your-ribs, and absolutely delicious. This is something that my dad makes on cold Sundays- always on Super Bowl Sunday, although we never actually watch the Super Bowl. I wonder why that is (the ritual chili making, and the not watching)? One of those family quirks, I suppose! But I hope you enjoy the chili.