I’m Chilly, Chili!
If you’re chilly, then chili is the way to warm up! There are so many variations of chili out there in the world. What do they all have in common? Well, they should include chili peppers or chili powder to add flavor and spice. The recipes below span a wide array of different flavors and cater to different eating lifestyles, from meat-eaters to vegetarians. While I myself am an omnivore, I really do enjoy the vegetarian chilis below.
You’ll find many of these recipes are written for pressure cookers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cook them on the stovetop. I have an article on how to convert pressure cooker recipes here. The basic rules to make these recipes on the stovetop are:
- Double or triple the cooking time (taste it after cooking it twice as long and add more time if needed) and
- Add a little more liquid if needed. Pressure cookers do not have any evaporation of liquid, whereas on the stovetop liquid is evaporating all the time, so be ready to add a little more liquid as you simmer.
So, now you know what to do when someone says “Ooh baby, it’s cold outside!” Make chili!
Chili con Carne
This take on classic chili con carne with beans includes beef and chorizo sausage – a Spanish sausage with a smoky flavor imparted by smoked red peppers. I like to use fresh chorizo in this recipe. If you can’t find fresh chorizo, substitute your favorite hot Italian sausage instead.
See Recipe
White Chicken Chili
White chili is basically chili that has no tomatoes. White chicken chili is also a little lighter than traditional beef chili – lighter in color, lighter in calories, lighter in fat, but still a great source of protein and just as tasty.
See Recipe
Quinoa Chili with Kidney Beans
Quinoa is a perfect way to add protein to a vegetarian chili. There’s no need to cook it separately, just toss it in with the other ingredients and let it absorb all the great flavors.
See Recipe
Three Bean Vegetarian Chili
When you fill a chili with three different types of beans and load it up with vegetables, you don’t really miss the meat. Promise. This three bean vegetarian chili comes together very quickly in a pressure cooker, but you could simmer it on the stovetop instead if you prefer.
See Recipe
Black Bean and Mushroom Chili
This recipe for black bean mushroom chili calls for brown mushrooms, which have a deeper, earthier flavor than their sisters the white button mushrooms. It’s hearty, earthy and satisfying.
See Recipe
Chili con Carne with Cornbread Dumplings
I love the smoky flavor of this bean-less chili con carne with cornbread dumplings. Most of that smoky flavor comes from the chipotle peppers in adobo, but the smoked paprika helps too.
See Recipe
Chunky Beef Chili
Classic Chunky Beef Chili is made really quickly in a pressure cooker, but can absolutely be made on the stovetop by simmering for two to three times the cooking time. This chunky beef chili has chunks of beef rather than ground beef, which makes it feel like a heartier meal to me.
See Recipe
Pork and Pumpkin Chili
There’s an infinite number of different chilis in the world. Chilli powder is what they all have in common, but after that, the sky’s the limit on what ingredients you can combine. This recipe uses pork tenderloin, along with pumpkin and two different types of peppers – poblano and Jalapeño.
