Beef And Brat Chili With White Beans

Beef And Brat Chili With White Beans
4.5 from 2 ratings
White beans and bratwurst add a hearty punch to this savory beef chili. This recipe serves 10-12, but can easily be cut in half if you're cooking for a smaller crowd.This recipe is by JeanMarie Brownson and originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
45
minutes
Cook Time
1.98
hours
Servings
12
servings
Beef and Brat Chili With White Beans
Total time: 2.73 hours
Ingredients
  • 3 pound trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large (or 2 medium) sweet onions, chopped
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1/4 cup ancho chili powder (half of a 1.2 ounce jar)
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
  • 1 and 1/2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 small red bell peppers, cored, diced
  • 8 -10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 4 cup cooked dried white beans or drained canned white kidney beans
  • 2 pound fully cooked bratwurst sausages (or kielbasa, thuringer or andouille chicken sausage)
  • chili garnishes: crumbled tortilla chips, oyster crackers, shredded cheese, sour cream or plain greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, green onions
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 325 F. Pat beef dry. In the bottom of a large (7-quart) Dutch oven or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Working in batches, brown the beef in oil until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a large plate. Repeat to brown all beef, adding oil as needed.
  2. In the Dutch oven or skillet, add 1 large (or 2 medium) chopped sweet onions to the pan drippings. Cook and stir until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in 6 ounces of tomato paste, 6 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup ancho chili powder, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. If using a Dutch oven, stir the beef into the onion mixture. If using a large (7 quart) slow cooker, scrape the onion mixture into it along with the beef. Into the Dutch oven or slow cooker, stir in 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, 1 and 1/2 cups broth, 2 small diced red bell peppers and 8-10 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms (optional).
  4. Cover the Dutch oven and cook in the oven until beef is fork-tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, slow-cook on low for 4 hours. (Chili base can be made up to 3 days in advance; refrigerate covered.)
  5. About 30 minutes before serving, reheat the chili base. If using cooked dried beans (4 cups), add them now and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  6. Slice 2 pounds of fully cooked bratwurst into ΒΌ-inch thick slices. Stir into the chili (along with the 4 cups of canned beans if using them instead of using the cooked dried beans). Heat through, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste.
  7. Set out chili garnishes in serving bowls. Serve chili hot, topped with desired garnishes.