Chuck Wagon Chili

Who doesn’t love a good chili? Chili is another one of those dishes that you can really make your own with different kinds of ingredients added in. And of course there is the beans or no bean debate. I’m a beans chili maker and that’s why this recipe is chock full of them! My Chuck Wagon Chili is going to knock your socks off – it has the right amount of sweet, heat and smokiness.

Most people do a ground meat in their chili, which is all well and good, as I do it also. But this go around I decided to do a smoked sausage for a bit of a change. I felt it would go nicely with the smoky bourbon and brown sugar. My go-to for bourbon is Jim Beam – I call it a middle of the road bourbon, both in terms of flavor and cost. Just like with wine, if you wouldn’t drink it you shouldn’t cook with it. You can also use a whiskey, if that’s what you have on hand, you will just lose a bit of the smoky element.

I added in a bit of heat with some green chilies, taco sauce (I used hot, but you can use whatever heat level you like) and chili powder. It was a delicious combination for this dish and not over the top for spice. It is more for the flavors than the spiciness. The corn and beans really help to balance it out.

As mentioned, this is a very hearty dish which means it is really going to fill you up. We had a dinner roll with it, but you could also do a cornbread with it. This chili would also be really good over a pile of crispy fries! If you wanted to lighten things up, you can always have a nice salad on the side.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Chuck Wagon Chili

A hearty chili full of beans, corn, and sausage. A full of flavor dish the whole family will love

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Tex-Mex

Keyword beans, chili, corn, pinto beans, sasusage

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 2 28oz cans Tomato Puree
• 3 15oz can Pinto Beans
• 1 12oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo minced
• 1 15oz can Sweet Corn
• ½ cup Bourbon
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Ground Mustard
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• ½ cup Taco Sauce
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 2 lb Sausage Links cut in slices
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded

Instructions

• Add butter to a large pot over medium high heat. Once melted, add onions and garlic. Let cook for 3 minutes.
• Then add all remaining ingredients except sausage links and cheese. Stir together and bring just to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium low and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove lid and add sausage and stir to combine. Cook another 15 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.