Today we are making our Two Friends in the Kitchen Chili for a Crowd. No need to worry. Let’s start at a very basic level – preparation.
The Importance of Preparation: Having all of your ingredients laid out and ready to go is an often forgotten step. Don’t assume you have the ingredients for this recipe (or any recipe for that matter); get in the habit of checking to make sure you have what you need to get started. This will allow you to make this chili in less than 30 minutes. With this large batch, you can serve a family dinner, freeze left over batches for future meals, and/or prepare for a large group of friends coming over to enjoy a simple yummy dinner.
Our Chili recipe is presented to you in both video and recipe form. If you are wanting to see the step by step processes and learn some helpful cooking tips of the trade, the video will demonstrate the techniques used, show helpful kitchen tools that make cooking easier, and walk you through the entire process.
Either way, this chili is a winner! Linda prepares this chili every year on Halloween. All the families who join for trick or treating come by an hour before departure to enjoy a hot bowl of this chili with a unique twist of lemon and basil. The lemon and basil create a rich contrast to the chili powder and cumin making this chili one that stands out in a crowd. It is no wonder that the group joining for Halloween continued to expand and grow as word spread of the tantalizing start to the fun, always memorable evening.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 12-16people | 60minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 30minutes | 1hour |
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- 2Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2Large yellow onions, diced
- 2Lbs hot or mild sausage, crumbled
- 2Lbs lean ground meat
- 2Lbs ground turkey
- 2Tbsp dried oregano
- 2Tbsp dried basil
- 4-6Tbsp chili powder
- 2Tbsp cumin
- 1Can tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic, diced
- 2Cups dry red wine
- 4Tbsp lemon juice
- 2Cans black beans15 oz. cans - rinsed and drained
- 2Cans pinto beans15 oz. cans - rinsed and drained
- 2Cans garbanzo beans15 oz. cans - rinsed and drained
- 2Cans black olives15 oz. cans - drained and cut in half
- 2Cans diced tomatoes15 oz. cans or 6 cups of fresh tomatoes, diced
- In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and onions; sauté until soft and translucent. Take the pot off the heat and set aside.
- In a separate large frying pan, cook the sausage over a medium heat until lightly brown on all sides. Continue to crumble the sausage as it cooks with a wooden spoon or spatula. When cooked, put sausage in a bowl and set aside. Using the leftover oil from the sausage, add the ground meat to the same pan and sauté until lightly brown; remove and add to the bowl of sausage. Cook the turkey in the same manner and set aside with the other browned meats.
- Return soup pot to the stove and return to a medium heat. Add all the spices to the onions and olive oil, mixing them together until well blended.
- Reduce the heat to low and add garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the paste and mix into the spices, onions, and garlic. Increase the heat to medium once again and slowly pour in the wine and lemon juice, stirring until well-blended.
- Add the beans, meats, olives, and tomatoes, one at a time, gently stirring them into the mixture.
- Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes and serve hot in bowls either alone or over rice. Add toppings as desired: cheese, chopped onions, or a dollop of sour cream.
Watch this instructional video
