Steakhouse Chili

My sister, Faye, suggested this recipe to me and said that it would be right up Luke's alley. Well she surely wasn't kidding. A delicious smoky flavor combined with the bacon in this chili recipe makes it just a bit different than your everyday chili. It is a Rachel Ray recipe, and I tweaked it just a bit by adding beans, substituting agave nectar for the brown sugar, and topping it with plain Greek yogurt. 

Steakhouse Chili

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 slices lean, smoky bacon, finely chopped

2 pounds ground sirloin beef

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tablespoons chili powder (I used 2.5 tablespoons)

Salt and pepper

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (1/4 cup agave nectar)

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (I used a dash)

2 cups beef stock

2 cans kidney beans

Sour cream or plain greek yogurt, for topping

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat renders, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until browned, 8-10 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder, a little salt and lots of pepper. In a bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, agave and hot sauce. Stir into the chili. Stir in beef stock and beans and bring to boil, then lower the heat and cook until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve, topped with greek yogurt.

Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/steakhouse-chili