Name: Sweet and Smokey Beef and Bean Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: One pot meals
Ingredients: 2 lbs Lean ground Beef; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup Chopped onion; 3 Stalks of Celery; 1 chopped garlic clove; 4 slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon; 2 Cans of diced tomatoes; 2 Cans of drained red Kidney beans; 2 Cans of baked beans in tomato sauce; 2 Tbsp Cumin; 2.5 Tbsp Chili Powder; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or red chili flakes; 1 tsp smoked paprika; ½ tsp Onion Powder; 2 tsp salt; 2 tbsp Maple Syrup; ¼ tsp liquid smoke

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Sweet and Smokey Beef and Bean Chili

Today I can hear that wind howling at my window; Just beckoning me to put on a big pot of this sweet and smokey chili.

Now traditionally, I never had a sweet and smokey flavour in my chili. This is a twist on the tradition that I grew up with. Adding just a faint background to the basic chili flavours of cumin and peppers, adds a whole new dimension to this one pot meal. I got the idea for this flavour combination while having dinner with friends. They both happen to be amazing cooks and I have picked up on a few ideas from them, but this one is probably my favourite.

It’s a simple addition of maple and bacon

That’s right…. how much more Canadian can you get than that? You can use a few slices of maple flavoured bacon, or you can use my favourite of applewood smoked bacon and a tablespoon of maple syrup. Either way, these flavours love each other in a chili! Him being from Newfoundland, I asked Jason, if this was an East Coast thing, and he said no, it was a “Jason thing”. So thanks for the idea Jason. Whenever we have chili now, I always remember trying your chili for the first time and what a treat!

So I’m going to share with you, the recipe I use for my chili. More than anything though, with a chili, it’s important to just keep tasting it as it cooks. You might find you need a little more spice to make it to your liking. Or you might have your own traditions you want to add to the pot. On a day like today, a big pot of this heartwarming chili is a welcoming meal.

A cast iron dutch oven like this is perfect for this recipe and versatile for the oven or stovetop. Plus keeps your food warm hours after turning off the heat! (affiliate link)