White Bean and Hominy Freezer Chili

A while back I shared a spicy, make-ahead Black Bean Chipotle Freezer Chili recipe with you. Today’s recipe is another make-ahead freezer chili, but with a more gentle flavor profile. I really love the convenience of having a big batch of chili ingredients in the freezer, ready to go. When the mood strikes, all I have to do is toss everything in a slow cooker and wait for the magic to happen.

Place all the ingredients (listed in the recipe below) into a gallon size freezer bag.

Be sure to label the bag before freezing. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• slow cooker https://amzn.to/3pIZkly

• gallon freezer bags https://amzn.to/3qGed7L

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White Bean and Hominy Freezer Chili

makes 1 gallon (16 cups)

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 30 ounces canned white beans, rinsed and drained

• 15 ounces canned hominy, rinsed and drained

• 15 ounces canned corn, rinsed and drained

• 15 ounces reduced sodium beef broth

• 15 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 4 ounces canned chopped green chiles

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced scallions, cubed avocado, minced onion, fresh cilantro, etc.

DIRECTIONS

1. You can cook the chili right away, or place all of the ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months (be sure to label with cooking instructions).

2. To prepare, thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours (use a bowl or tray to catch any juices that might leak out of the bag).

3. Pour chili mixture into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker and stir well; cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours without opening the slow cooker. Serve with your favorite toppings.

NOTES

• Don’t be alarmed with the small amount of liquid in this recipe - the beef and vegetables will release their juices as the mixture cooks.

• I like to set my slow cooker on high for the first hour, then reduce to low for the remaining time.

• When freezing, be sure to label the freezer bag with the name of the recipe, date, and cooking instructions (trust me, you will NOT remember what’s in the bag).

• When thawing, be sure to place the bag in a bowl or on a tray to catch any juices that might leak out. No sense in enjoying the convenience of a freezer meal if you end up having to clean your refrigerator afterwards.

adapted from taste of home

Mission Chili

A few times year, we get together with a group of friends to provide a chili dinner for one of the local charities. We serve 3 different batches of chili, and mine is typically the spiciest (for the record, I don’t think it’s that spicy, and you can easily adjust to the heat level you like).

I don’t usually follow a recipe when I make chili - I add this and that until I get it just the way I like it. If time permits (and I’m in the mood to chop), I’ll use fresh onions and garlic. Today my attention was divided among several kitchen tasks so I opted to use dried minced onions and garlic. Sometimes I cook the beans from dried - today I used canned kidney beans, but other varieties like black, pinto, navy, cannellini, great northern, etc work equally well. Basically, I keep the meat, bean, and tomato ratio the same and the rest is pretty flexible. Anyway, I was quite pleased with today’s batch so I wrote down the exact measurements for you. Check out the notes listed below the recipe to see my suggested substitutions.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• heavy bottom 12qt stock pot https://amzn.to/3TZZGRz

• masa harina https://amzn.to/3zFr3IN

• chipotles in adobo https://amzn.to/39NdUOa

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Big Batch Mission Chili

makes about 12 quarts (48 cups)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 pounds 85% lean ground beef (or turkey)

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 3 green bell peppers, diced

• 4 tablespoons minced dried onions (see notes below)

• 4 tablespoons ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley

• 2 tablespoons dried chili powder

• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

• 1 tablespoon minced dried garlic (see notes below)

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 4 cans (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes (see notes below)

• 3 cans (45 ounces) dark red kidney beans with their liquid (see notes below)

• 1 can (7 ounces) chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

• 1 cup Masa Harina (see notes below)

• 1 cup water

Directions

1. In 12-quart or larger, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat, combine oil, beef, salt, pepper, and onions and garlic (if using fresh); cook, stirring frequently, until crumbled and no pink remains.

2. Add bell peppers and all the dried herbs and spiced; cook for several minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the canned tomatoes, beans (with their liquid), chipotles in adobo, and green chiles; stir well and bring to a boil, stirring every 5-10 minutes to keep the bottom of the pot from burning.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour (don’t forgot to continue scraping the bottom of the pan every 5-10 minutes).

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together masa harina and water until no lumps remain; stir well into chili.

6. Serve with assorted garnish - fresh lime wedges, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, Mexican crema or sour cream, chopped scallions, diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, tortilla strips, etc.

Notes

• Masa Harina (aka Masa de Harina or Maseca) is a finely ground corn flour or cornmeal made from dried hominy, which is corn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution. Masa Harina is what gives corn tortillas and tamales their distinctive flavor. Adding masa harina to chili is optional, and I made chili without it for years, but ever since I discovered how much flavor and texture it adds, I can’t go back.

• Use good quality, low-acid canned tomatoes - some brands I like are SMT, Cento, Contadina, Muir Glen, Pomi.

• To substitute dried beans (any kind is fine), cook 3 pounds (save some of the cooking water just in case you need to thin the chili a bit).

• To substitute fresh onions and garlic, mince 2 large yellow onions and 4 cloves of garlic (add while browning ground beef).

• For less spicy chili, reduce or omit the canned chipotle peppers in adobo (or substitute chipotle powder or chipotle flavored tabasco sauce to taste).

• Feel free to omit the bell peppers, or go ahead and add some chopped tomatoes, or use a different kind of bean (or a mix of beans), or toss in some corn or hominy kernels…. go for it!

• If using canned beans, no need to drain them (however, I do drain the liquid when using canned black beans because it can really affect the overall appearance of the finished chili).