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January 3, 2009

Mike's Chocolate Espresso Chili Recipe

I left a tweet on Twitter today, after starting my chili recipe in a crock pot at work:

I got 14 YES responses to my tweet, from @daveseah @heathercore @y0mbo @Lukas_Sparks @skyhawke @nathanziarek @chrisbowler @lancehill @jesselavery @drewwells @lencioni @jennaddenda @gnumadic and @freds4hb so by popular demand, here's my crock pot recipe for Mike's Chocolate Espresso Chili:

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef (ground round)
2 14-oz cans of chili beans (w/ chili seasoning optional)
2 14-oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 8-oz cans of tomato sauce
1 16-oz jar of chunky salsa
1 white onion, diced
1 milk chocolate bar (43g)
2 1.5-oz shots of espresso
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground paprika

DIRECTIONS
1. Brown the ground beef and onion in large skillet and drain.

2. In a crock pot, combine the ground beef and onions, beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, chocolate bar, espresso, chili powder and paprika.

3. Cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 4 hours if you need it sooner). Stir occasionally.

4. Serve. I like chili with cheddar cheese, corn chips and sour cream on top.

I've found the chocolate makes the chili a little sweet, the espresso adds a bit of smoky richness and the paprika becomes a subtly smooth taste that blends in nicely.

The crock pot makes this one easy to make and kinda forget until it's time to eat, especially handy if you need something ready to eat on a cold day after work.

Nathan Ziarek has generated nutrition values if you're curious. To reduce calories/fat, swap out the beef for chicken or veggie crumblers.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and let me know how you like it.

Enjoy!

January 3, 2009 12:33 AM | Food & Drink | add to del.icio.us

Comments

Looks awesome! I'll have to try it sometime this week. Thanks!

Posted by: y0mbo at January 3, 2009 7:49 AM

John, I hope you enjoy it. After you make a batch, leave a comment here and let me know how it turnd out for you. :-)

Posted by: Mike Rohde at January 3, 2009 8:09 AM

Why Mike, this sounds awesome, and I've been looking for a chilli recipe that I can make in a slow cooker for months. If I can persuade my wife that chocolate and coffee go well in chilli (I just might not tell her ... ;-) I'll be trying this out soon. Thanks so much.

And Happy New Year!

Posted by: Neal Dench at January 5, 2009 3:24 AM

Hey Mike - I made your chili last night. It was delicious! Substituted 4oz dark chocolate instead of 43g milk chocolate but wasn't too sweet. Served along with the cheddar cheese and some freshly baked beer bread. Awesome! Thanks for the easy recipe!

Neal - Don't tell her.. let her guess! My boys couldn't get but my husband figured it out. :-(

Posted by: cryptogurl at January 7, 2009 9:04 AM

@cryptogirl thanks for the report on the chili experience!

I have swapped out dark for milk chocolate in the past and it's good, but I prefer the milk version a little more. It's a little less acidic and the sweetness for me balances the tomatoes and chili powder.

Cheddar cheese and beer bread sounds like a great match to chili! :-)

Posted by: Mike Rohde at January 8, 2009 5:26 PM