I woke up this morning and it was snowing unexpectedly, and I immediately thought, I should make chili today. Something about chili makes you feel warm and cozy inside. This recipe packs a lot of heat and smokiness that is sure to do just that thanks to the mixture of herbs and spices.

Spices affect your palate and senses differently, that’s why I like to build a full flavor profile and use a variety of spices instead of just dumping a tablespoon of chili powder in. This chili is a slow, smoky, and sweet burn, not an inferno. The oregano gives it a floral fragrance, the cumin and garlic gives it an earthy savoriness, the smoked paprika gives it the smokiness as does the chipotle which also adds a bit of heat, the tomatoes will add sweetness and zing and the chili powder and cayenne pepper will give it that bright pop of heat.

If you’re not a fan of meat substitutes you can easily leave the beefless beef out and replace it with an additional 15 oz of kidney beans or black beans and make an all bean chili that will also work.

I love to serve this with homemade cornbread (recipe here) since the sweetness of the corn really helps balance out the fiery flavors in the chili. This meal is sure to make you feel toasty on cold winter’s nights, but if you can’t finish it all, it freezes well also. Buen Provecho!



