Pinto Bean Chili
From Taste of Home
Cumin and chili powder season this traditional chili from Sandy Dilatush of Denver, Colorado. Quesadillas on the side make this Southwestern soup a meal.
SERVINGS
8
CATEGORY
Soup
PREP
20 min.
COOK
105 min.
TOTAL
125 min.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound dried pinto beans
* 2 pounds ground beef
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 celery ribs, chopped
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 4 cups water
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 2 tablespoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* CHILI CHEESE QUESADILLAS:
* 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
* 12 flour tortillas (6 inches)
* 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
* 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS
Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in water. Add the beans, chili powder, cumin and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar and salt; heat through, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, for quesadillas, spread about 1 tablespoon of chilies on half of each tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese; fold in half. In a large skillet, cook tortillas in 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat until lightly browned on each side, adding more oil as needed. Cut each in half. Serve with chili. Yield: 8 servings.
Notes: this is pretty cheap to make. I bought the pinto beans in the bulk section. I didn't boil them, I just let them soak over night. I also didn't add the vinegar.