Beef and Bean Chili

I've had this recipe in one of those little recipe bins for a while. I think it was from when Dave and I were first married. Maybe. Either way, it's been a long time since I made this.

It's an easy recipe and really not that expensive even if you use nearly all organic ingredients. When I priced everything out except for the olive oil and spices, the total was just under $19.  The ground beef was the most expensive however we purchase 3 pounds for $18 from Prather Ranch Meat at the Danville Farmer's Market. That pretty much means this chili is about $1.60 a serving.  Organic isn't all the expensive, see?
 
The original recipe called for ground turkey, two cans of black beans and one 24 ounce can of crushed tomatoes but I substituted ground beef, one can of black beans and one can of kidney beans, and two 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes with fire roasted chiles.  

Look at me remembering to photograph all the ingredients beforehand!

Beef and Bean Chili
Makes 12 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
3 green bell peppers, diced
4 onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
2 cans diced tomatoes with fire roasted chiles
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can refried beans

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add beef, bell peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and bay leaves.  Cook for about 8 - 10 minutes until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves before serving.

We'll eat this with diced avocados from our neighbor's parents' orchard in Southern California and I'll make cornbread, too.  As for how spicy this chili is, well, I made it so my children don't freak out and tell me that their mouths are on fire but at the same time it has some zip, too.