Paula Deen Chili

On a recent trip to Texas, I read Paula Deen's memoir - "It Ain't All About the Cookin'." I must say, it was pretty darn entertaining. She talks about growing up in the racist south (and this is pre-deposition scandal, mind you), about her agoraphobia, and about how her empire started with delivering sandwiches to office buildings. Anyway, she included many recipes in the book, but I only earmarked one - her "Courage Chili." Oddly, it does not include any butter...but, in Paula's words: "When I'm under stress and I sense that trouble's coming, I need to eat something hot, something substantial, and something that gives me what feels like strength and courage. There's nothing like dippin' into a bowlful of chili in such moments. Chili's a nourishing rib-sticker; you don't need no fancy food dishes when you need your strength. Y'all need chili."

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds lean ground beef - I never thought I'd say this, but I'd cut back on the meat. Maybe 1.5 pounds instead of 2. It was just too thick, heavy, and rich with the full 2 pounds. Ultimately, I had to dilute my leftovers with chicken stock to make them more stomach-friendly.
2 large onions, finely minced (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons chili power
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (10-¾ ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained - Consider adding more beans if you cut back on the meat.
1 large bag Fritos corn chips
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Brown the beef and 1 ½ cups of the onions in a large skillet. Drain off the pan drippings. Add the garlic powder, salt, chili powder, oregano, sugar, soup, flour, and Tabasco. Mix well. Simmer for 1 hour, covered, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes and beans, stir, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes longer.

When the chili is done, empty the bag of Fritos in a large serving bowl. Scoop the chili on top of the Fritos, and top it all with dollops of sour cream, the remaining ½ cup onions, and the cheese, which will melt all by itself on the chili. Serve immediately. 

I skipped the Fritos and the sour cream - it was tasty enough with just the cheddar! I also made some corn muffins to serve on the side. I really liked this recipe due to its simplicity. And the condensed french onion soup added a depth that made it taste more complicated than it really is. I may keep my eye out for different chili recipes, but I'm more than happy to have this as my go-to!