Temperatures have been fairly mild so far this winter in Rock Hill. Sooner or later, though, winter weather will arrive. When the chilly air finally blows in bringing ice, sleet, and snow with it, cook up a big pot of this Coca-Cola Chili. The house will smell great all day as the chili simmers in the slow cooker. At supper, ladle  it out over a big bowl of tortilla chips and hunker down for the evening. Ride out the nasty weather with a full, warm belly.

It’s easy to dial in on the chili’s heat by manipulating a few ingredients. To amp up the heat, leave the jalapeño seeds and/or add cayenne pepper or chipotle powder. To make a milder chili, leave out the jalapeño altogether.

Ingredients

For the Chili

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5 oz. can beef broth
• 1 cup Coke
• 2 15-16 oz. cans kidney beans
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• salt
• pepper

For Serving

• cheddar or monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 3-4 green onions, sliced thin
• tortilla chips, crushed
• sour cream
• sliced black olives

Directions

Set slow cooker to low. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, Coke, and kidney beans. Mix well. 

Add the chili powder and cumin. Mix well.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the vegetable oil in a 12 inch pan on medium-high until shimmering. Add the ground beef, onion, and jalapeño pepper. Cook until the ground beef is well browned, 5-6 minutes. Break up the ground beef as you stir it with the vegetables. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add cooked beef and vegetable mixture to the liquid and beans in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

To Serve

Place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle chili over the chips. Sprinkle the top of the chili with shredded cheese and sliced green peppers. You can also serve the chili with sliced black olives and sour cream.