I have always thought chili was just fine…something great to throw on some Fritos or a hot dog. I had no idea how much I could love it. This one is in my top three favorite meals ever, period. And to his credit, this is my husband’s recipe. He has tweaked and played with this recipe, then tweaked it a little more over the years to get it juuuust right. As you’ll see from the ingredients, it does not skimp in flavor. I seriously don’t even put cheese in this chili (and I’m a cheese fanatic) because I don’t want to do anything to distract from its awesomeness.
And yes, I’m revealing the secret ingredient. You would never, ever know that this chili has oats from the flavor or texture, but it adds just enough of a thickening agent to make this even heartier, making it less like a soup and more like, well, chili! It’s been a hit at chili cook-offs for years now, and I’m finally sharing it with you as we approach Superbowl Sunday. Bonus — this can feed a crowd inexpensively, and your party (or you Tuesday – whenever) just won’t be the same without it! ~Robin
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 7 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 T., plus one tsp. chili powder
- 2 T. cumin
- 1 T., plus 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 lg. can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 2 cans light red kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
- ½ c. quick oats, uncooked
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. ground Cayenne pepper (adjusting up or down depending on your spice preference)
- 1 – 2 tsp. salt (Start with one tsp. and adjust to taste in ¼ tsp increments – it’s a lot of food so you may end up going to 2 tsp.)
In a large stock pot, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic on medium heat. Once beef is cooked and any fat drained, add all other ingredients and continue to cook on medium heat until heated thoroughly and has had a chance for the flavors to blend. It just gets better and better leftover (I keep it in my fridge for up to three days). It does freeze very well; I recommend freezing it in small, individual microwave-safe containers so you can grab a serving to take for lunch anytime over the next six months.
WW Info: 4 points/cup on green (9 pts for 2 cups), 1 point/cup on blue (2 points for 1.75, 3 points for 2 cups), and 1 point/cup on purple (2 points for 1.75, 3 points for 2 cups)
Barry's Secret Ingredient Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 7 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 T., plus one tsp. chili powder
- 2 T. cumin
- 1 T., plus 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 lg. can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 2 cans light red kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
- ½ c. quick oats, uncooked
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. ground Cayenne pepper (adjusting up or down depending on your spice preference)
- 1 to 2 tsp. salt (Start with one tsp. and adjust to taste in ¼ tsp increments – it’s a lot of food so you may end up going to 2 tsp.)
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic on medium heat.
- Once beef is cooked, drain any fat that's cooked out.
- Add all other ingredients and continue to cook on medium heat until heated thoroughly and has had a chance for the flavors to blend.
- This just gets better and better leftover (I keep it in my fridge for up to three days). It does freeze very well too; I recommend freezing it in small, individual microwave-safe containers so you can grab a serving to take for lunch anytime over the next six months.
Notes
WW Info: 4 points/cup on green (9 pts for 2 cups), for both blue and purple it's only 1 point per cup (2 points for up to 1.75 cups, 3 points for 2 cups).
I think I could omit the beef and make a lovely vegan chili from this recipe. I like dal over oats even better than over rice, so why not beans and oats chili!
Sounds good! Let us know how it turns out!