This chili is from scratch, and it is exactly how I like it.  It’s thick, it’s hearty, it’s meaty, it’s beany, and there are big killer tomatoes in it.  Totally awesome meal, extremely easy to make.  So here’s how it goes:

Down Home Chili

• 4 cups of dried pinto beans (do. not. use. beans. from. a. can.)                                                                        Bonus: if you want to spice things up in the bean dept., get a bag of dried bean mix, or throw some navy beans in.  I’m all for experimenting (within reason…like, don’t start getting brussel sprouts in here or anything), so try some new beans!  Just make sure the base of the chili is pinto beans.  Their texture and flavor make it chili.  That’s what I think.
• 10 cups of water
• 1 can organic stewed tomatoes
• 1 can organic tomato paste (just a side note: at Costco, this costs just as much as the non-organic.)
• 1 lbs. organic ground beef (I know it’s expensive, but it’s 1 lbs. and it’s worth it.  You have just got to trust me on this one.)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, paprika, dried parsley

So here’s what you do:

Put the load of beans and water, and a little garlic powder into the pressure cooker.  The garlic powder really just makes the house smell amazing while you’re cooking it, which I think makes a big difference.  A house that smells like cooking plain beans isn’t the best place to be.  Just a personal preference here.  You want people to have excited anticipation about the meal, so create it for them.  Just a Tamarahism for ya.

Cook on high for 50 minutes.

While it is naturally releasing steam, throw the seasonings and spices into a pan with the stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, onion and ground beef and cover for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Side Note: You totally can just throw the beef in the pressure cooker at this point if you wanted; it will cook just as well there.  But I have found that my family and I prefer the flavors of the chili if I cook the beef and onion in a pan a little slower.  But it’s totally up to you and what you like.

When that is all nice and cooked, spoon (or dump) the pan contents into the pressure cooker and mix into the beans.  Let it sit for a few minutes before serving, just to let the flavors mingle a little.

That is really all you do for homemade chili.  It is crazy easy to make, and it is nice and thick so you can have it with a bunch of other things: pour it on cornbread, make chili dogs, put a dollop of sour cream on top of a bowl of chili (this is my favorite)…it is a great chili.

If you want it a little thinner, because that’s how you like it: add a cup more water when you add the meat mixture.  The beans absorb water like crazy so you might need even more than just a cup of water, and it’ll gel with all the ingredients to work well.

Enjoy!