Ultimate Chili

Deer hunting in my family sometimes feels like a holiday before the holidays. While the men bond in the woods, the women usually bond in the kitchen. In past years we have tackled lefse, caramel rolls and donuts from scratch. Our main goal is to relax and enjoy each others company. By the time our hungry hunters come inside we have quite the spread ready for them. Saturday night I was in charge of the soups. I made chicken wild rice soup and my Ultimate Chili. The chili was the crowd favorite so I am featuring that recipe tonight. (Zach even said this made his top 3 of the best chili he's ever had.) This chili has a couple of special ingredients that give it an edge over you basic recipe. The warm and spicy layers of flavor are cooled off by the cheese and sour cream toppings. I always make a big batch and freeze it in individual servings for easy lunches on the go. Ultimate Chili (Note: I never measure ingredients when making soups, so use this as a guide. Your seasoning amounts will vary on how spicy you like your chili) 1 lb. ground beef 1 sm. onion diced 3-4 stalks of celery diced 1 qt. whole tomatoes 1 qt. tomato juice 1 can chili beans in medium sauce 1 can black beans drained 1 sm. can green chilies diced salt/pepper 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tps. oregano 3-4 Tbls. chili seasoning Toppings: sour cream, cheese, avocados - Brown ground beef, onions and celery in soup pot. Drain excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least 20 minutes.