Confession: I Hate Beans

I do.  I hate beans.  Pinto, black, refried, kidney, Lima… you name the bean and I hate it.

But I love chili. 

So my fantastic friend, Jennifer gave me her bean-less chili recipe, and it inspired a new tradition: 

the Chili Party.

I don’t know about you, but I love to entertain.  I am Monica from Friends.  I have a small home and a small budget, but I love to be the hub of the happenings!  Last Halloween we decided to host a Chili Party with our friends and neighbors before heading out to trick-or-treat with the kiddos.  {I am so looking forward to continuing the tradition this Halloween.}

It was fantastic! 

The best part was I spent $60 feeding 30 people.

Yesterday was cold and misty, and got me super excited for the fall... so I ran out and got all the fixin's for chili night, and when Beau and Nathan got home from Beau's football practice, we had a feast!

Here’s the recipe.

If you are one of those weird people that actually likes beans, you can include them,

but I DON’T recommend it!

Jennifer’s Halftime Chili

{Serves about 8 adults}

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped white onions
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 pounds ground chuck (I usually use about ½ pound extra since I DO NOT use beans)
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
14 ½-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
12-ounce beer
6-ounce can tomato paste
8-ounce cube of cream cheese

And if you REALLY want them: 15-ounce can prepared chili beans

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch Oven {or just use whatever big pot you’ve got, if you are not fancy enough for a Dutch Oven, which I am not} over medium-high heat. 
Add onions and garlic.
Sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, and thyme.  Stir 2 minutes.
Mix in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, beer, tomato paste, and cream cheese.  Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour 15 minutes {however, if you prefer to make it further ahead of time, you can throw it in a crock pot on high for the 1 hour and 15 minutes, and then turn it down to low or warm until you are ready to serve}. 
Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
If you are some kind of weird bean lover, mix in the beans {YUCK} and simmer for 5 minutes. 
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now, if you’ve got one of those fantastic Lazy Susan’s like the one Brooke bought me for Christmas, use it to serve all the fixin’s:
Cheese.
Corn.
Roasted bell peppers.
Scallions.
Sour cream.
Avocado.
And, of course, chips {the scoop-y shaped ones are best... Nathan likes Fritos} for the dipping!

Now I am hungry.  I'm going to go eat my leftovers.