Nacho Topped Chili

So, what are you doing for Super Bowl? In my last post, I might have mentioned my football team is going to the Super Bowl (Go 49ers!!!)! Technically, it is not my football team—I am merely a fan, but they are still going to the Super Bowl!

My team going to the Super Bowl does put me in a slightly awkward position though. I usually like to focus on the food, the socializing and the commercials at the Super Bowl party, and I’m committed to doing all of these things this year, in addition to concentrating on the game. How am I going to do this you ask? I’m not really sure, but I hope to come up with something soon.

I’m also not sure what food to bring for the party. A friend at work handed me a fun recipe for chicken bites I might have to try, or I might bring this Nacho Topped Chili. I made this chili for my family during one of the playoff games to test it out. My son and husband loved it. I loved it too since it combines two of my favorite things to eat chili and nachos, and it did it beautifully! The chili is spicy and flavorful and the nacho topping makes the chili fun and delicious.

The original chili is a meat only chili, but I happen to like beans, so I added them to the chili too. I tested the recipe with the kidney beans and without, and my family preferred them with the kidney beans.  

Nacho Topped Chili 
Adapted from Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day
Printable Recipe
4 poblano peppers
2 large jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lean ground beef (no more than 10% fat)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
1 12-ounce bottle beer (Rachael recommends Negra Modela, but I used Budweiser since that’s what I had on hand)
2 cups beef stock
2 14-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 bag corn tortilla chips
1 16-ounce can spicy refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Fresno red chili pepper
½ cup pickled sliced jalapeno peppers
2 green onions, sliced

Place the poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet and broil them until the skin is blackened. Place the charred peppers in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap until the peppers are cool enough to handle. Peel, stem and seed the peppers, and place into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is pureed.

While the peppers are roasting, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the meat and brown well. Add the onions, garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the beer, and let it bubble a minute or two to cook off the alcohol. Add the beef stock, kidney beans and pureed peppers, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chili is thickened and the flavors have combined.

Place the chili in a casserole dish (your serving dish of choice) and top it with the tortilla chips. Dot the tortilla chips with the refried beans, and add the shredded cheese. Place the chili topped nachos in a preheated 400°F oven until the beans are warm and the cheese has melted. Garnish with sliced peppers and green onions. Serve.