Spicy Chili for a Crowd
True story: We’d signed up to feed a bunch of hungry kids and their parents—and remembered this fact about half an hour before dinner. Two minutes later, we’re boiling water, shredding cheddar, chopping onions. Several packs of Organic Spicy Red Bean Chili go in the pot. In 15 minutes, dinner’s ready…and we get asked for the recipe for our “fantastic homemade chili.”
This chili helps out more than just forgetful cooks, though. Its main ingredient, beans, delivers nutrients into the soil as the bean plant grows. Bacteria in the plant’s roots convert atmospheric nitrogen to natural nitrogen fertilizer—without the need for chemical inputs. All legumes perform this magic trick, and it’s why we use so many of them in our foods; they feed us and the earth at the same time.
Ingredients
- 5 packs Organic Spicy Red-Bean Chili
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ lbs. ground bison
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. each kosher salt and sweet paprika
- Coarsely shredded extra-sharp orange cheddar
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions
Putting It All Together
- Prepare chili according to package instructions.
- While it simmers, sauté the bison: Heat a large frying pan (not nonstick) over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, swirl in olive oil and add bison, onion, and oregano. Stir in pepper, salt, and paprika. Cook, stirring often, until bison is well browned. Put in a bowl.
- If chili has gotten thick in the meantime, stir in some hot water.
- Set chili on the table right in the pot, along with the toppings: browned bison, cheddar, sour cream and green onions. Self-serve!
