Oh Yeah A Chili Casserole

Beef & Black Bean Chili
makes about 5 c chili
(can be shared with kids 8+ mos)

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 c finely chopped onion (about 1/2 a med onion)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs beef
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cocoa
8 oz tomato sauce (about 1 cup)
2 c beef or chicken broth
2 15-oz cans black beans
chipotles in adobo
2 tsp cornmeal
1 tsp hot water
1 tsp hot sauce, optional
1-2 tsp red wine vinegar

1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium flame. Saute onions and garlic until soft and fragrant.

2. Add ground beef, worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander and cocoa powder. Cook until spices are fragrant and beef is cooked through and browned in spots.

3. Add tomato sauce, broth, beans and as many chipotle peppers as you like. (I add 1 deseeded pepper, which gives a little bite, but keeps things on the milder side for our little one.) Cook down for about 15 minutes, until almost desired chili consistency.

4. In the meantime, mix cornmeal with hot water. When the 15 minutes are up, add cornmeal mixture and 1 tsp hot sauce plus 1 tsp of vinegar or, if skipping hot sauce, 2 tsp vinegar to the chili. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until perfect chili consistency.