The Great Christmas Tree Hunt and Chili Supper 2019

Jan here, sharing one of our favorite Black Hills traditions - our church's annual Tree Hunt and Chili Supper.

Would you believe I forgot to take my camera this year? But I did have my phone and remembered to take a picture of the intrepid hunters taking their captured trees back to the truck for the ride home!

It was a successful afternoon all around, complete with snowball fights, sledding, snow fort building (I wish I had taken a picture of the snow fort!) and a lot of visiting with friends and family. The temperatures were in the upper 30's, so we lingered in the forest while the children played. But as the sun made it's way toward the western hills, we knew it was time to make the journey back down the mountains. After all, the chili supper was waiting for us!

I've made a lot of different chili recipes for this special event over the years, but I don't think I've ever shared this one.

Chili, the healthy way

with vegetarian options!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (optional - this chili has enough protein without the beef)
1/2 onion
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 cups (cooked) small red beans or kidney beans
4 cups beef stock or vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt

I cook the beans in my instant pot the day before I make the chili, or you can soak and cook them the more conventional way - whichever works for you. Start with 2 cups dried beans to yield 4 cups cooked beans. (Or you can use 3 cans of beans...)

For my beef broth, I used some of the beef bone stock I made last winter. (See my post on making beef stock here!)

For the ground beef, I usually use a pound of the grass-fed beef we get from our friends, the ranchers. But I don't have any on hand right now, so I just used ground beef from the store.

Are these special ingredients? Not really - but you need to plan ahead to use them. Of course, you can always buy these ingredients at the grocery store!

Brown the meat and onion together. Put all ingredients together in a crock pot. Cook on low for about 9-10 hours.

Serve with any toppings you like. A dollop of sour cream is particularly tasty.

This chili isn't hot and spicy - there are just enough of the spices to give it a warm, savory flavor. If you like your chili with a bit of a kick, add some hot chili peppers or more cayenne pepper!


Enjoy!

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com