Chili

I used to make this every year for my annual bonfire the night before Halloween and everyone loved it! It's also a great Super Bowl dish!

CHILI

• 1 ½ cups onion soup, prepared from a packet of dry onion soup mix

• ¼ cup bacon grease (see notes)

• 3 lbs. of 80/20 ground beef

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 cup cola soft drink (such as Coke®)

• 1 tablespoon yellow sport pepper sauce (such as Frank's Hot Sauce)

Directions:

Step 1

Prepare soup from a packet of onion soup mix according to the package directions, and set 1 1/2 cups aside.

Step 2

Place bacon grease into a large stainless steel soup pot over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the ground beef in the bacon fat until well browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in the reserved onion soup, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, stirring to dissolve any browned flavor bits from the pot.

Step 3

Stir in salt, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, kidney beans, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cocoa powder, cola, and hot sauce, and simmer for 20 more minutes. Serve hot.

Notes:

To get bacon grease, cook about 4 slices of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon slices (save cooked bacon for another use). Retain about 1/4 cup of bacon grease; discard the rest, if any.

Use regular cola, not diet or caffeine-free.

You can serve immediately, but for best results, transfer into the insert of a slow cooker, and chill for at least 8 hours to overnight. (you can keep the chili refrigerated up to 48 hours if need be). When ready to serve, heat in covered slow cooker on High for about 3 hours; then set to Low for serving.

Serve with cornbread or corn muffins, shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream.