No Chilli Mild Chilli

CONFESSIONS OF A FOODIE
I don’t know every single thing about every single food out there

*gasp*

Understandably, I always thought that American Chilli had lots of…well, chilli

And my troublesome stomach means that anything spicy, even generous amounts of black pepper, is a serious no-go so I’ve never even considered trying it

But after talking to my foodie soul-sista Emma, from over at Photo Before We Eat, I was told that there are a number of versions that are either mild or don’t have chilli at all

After spending way too much time reading and researching different regional recipes, I came to the conclusion that there really is no single way to make chilli. It seems that a rich, beefy stew with paprika and cumin seem to be the main requirements

Tomato, no tomato. Beans, no beans. Steak or ground beef.
The opinions are ferocious and sometimes fanatical

I’m aware that my U.S followers will probably be sending me all kinds of opinions on my no-chilli chilli, but I really love that this is something that I can actually eat

I chose to use my Taco Seasoning as the flavour base, with it’s paprika and cumin tones, but bumped the paprika up and added cocoa powder.
Trust me on the cocoa, it adds a deep, rich element that you don’t want to miss and doesn’t taste chocolatey or sweet at all – just make sure that you use dark or Dutch processed cocoa powder

It’s made with cheap cuts of meat and bulked out with beans and corn so it is budget-friendly and this makes an enormous batch, so you could either halve it or freeze half for another night

It’s rich and incredibly tasty, kid-friendly and if you need that spicy kick you can add your own chilli

You can serve it with rice, polenta, or cornbread, dunk corn chips in it, or curl up in a chair and just eat it with a spoon – the choices are all yours

I ate mine with lots of sour cream and a big handful of coriander

Make it yourself. Tag me in your creations

Enjoy!