Jessica’s Hearty Alaska Chili

Yield: 10-12

Author: Jessica Milnes

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Jessica’s Hearty Alaska Chili

There is just something about a big pot of chili simmering away when we're out camping or it’s cold outside. This one is hearty, meaty, a little smoky, and exactly the kind of meal that fills everyone up after a long Alaska day.

We really like Meat Church seasonings around our house, and their Texas Chili Seasoning is perfect in this recipe. You can make this with ground beef, but if you have ground moose in the freezer, that is a great way to make it a little more Alaskan. And because my family loves spicy food, I like to throw in a fresh jalapeño too!

Ingredients

For the Meat

• 2 pounds ground beef or ground moose meat
• 1 pound hot breakfast sausage
• 1 pound chuck roast or stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed

For the Chili

• 3 medium red onions, diced
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresh jalapeño, sliced, optional
• 2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes with juices
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 can (7 ounces) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped, using less if you prefer a milder chili
• 12 ounces beef broth
• 4 to 5 tablespoons Meat Church Texas Chili Seasoning, to taste
• 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

For Serving

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Diced white onion
• Sliced fresh jalapeños
• Sour cream
• Cornbread

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat with a little olive oil. Add the diced onions and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Add the garlic, optional fresh jalapeño, and chopped chipotle peppers with some of the adobo sauce. Cook for another minute or two until everything is fragrant.
3. Remove the onion mixture and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, brown the ground beef or ground moose meat along with the breakfast sausage. Break the meat apart as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed.
5. If using chuck roast or stew meat, brown the pieces on all sides. They do not need to cook all the way through because they will become tender while the chili cooks.
6. Add the cooked meat, onion mixture, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans to a large Dutch oven or slow cooker.
7. Stir in 4 tablespoons of Meat Church Texas Chili Seasoning. You can add another tablespoon later if you want even more flavor or heat.
8. For the Slow Cooker: Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
9. For the Dutch Oven: Bring the chili to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. You can let it simmer longer for an even deeper flavor. If the chili becomes thicker than you like, add a splash of beef broth.
10. Taste before serving and add additional Meat Church Texas Chili Seasoning if desired.
11. Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, fresh jalapeños, sour cream, or whatever your family loves. Serve with a big piece of cornbread and enjoy!

Notes

If you have ground moose meat in the freezer or canned, use it! Moose makes a wonderful hearty chili and is an easy way to put some of that Alaska harvest to good use.

We also really like Meat Church seasonings around our house, and their Texas Chili Seasoning gives this chili so much flavor without having to pull a whole bunch of different spices out of the cabinet.

And if you have watched us for very long, you probably already know my family loves spicy food! I like to add a fresh jalapeño right into the pot. If your family doesn’t love the heat quite as much as mine does, just leave it out.