It's starting to get awfully chili out and what's better than a nice hot meal this time of year?

This chili recipe, passed down from one hottie to the next, can be made for anyone, from meat lovers to vegetarians to vegans. The best part is that it can be made in either a crock pot while you're at work or on the stove in less than an hour.  You can eat it like a soup or as a dip with a side of tortilla chips. If you like spicy foods, this will be your new favorite meal. Drench it in RedHot and it will taste even better! #KillTheChill #StayHot

Market List:

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 (12oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8oz) can of rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 bag of baby carrots
• Olive Oil
• Optional:
  • 1 lb of ground turkey or beef
  • RedHot
  • Your Favorite Cheese
  • Gas-X

I suggest making your own chili seasoning. Otherwise, you run the very real risk of looking like you have a food baby because you're so bloated from all the sodium in those packets of pre-made seasoning.

Chili Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp Flour
• 2 tbsp Minced Onion
• 1 ½  tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• ½ tsp Minced Garlic
• ½  tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Ground Cumin

Recipe: Vegetarian or Meat Chili

1. Grab a bowl and use it to mix the spices for your chili seasoning. (See Above.)

2. In a separate pan, boil water and then, add carrots (as many as your like) and cook until they soften. This is important - Carrots will take hours to cook, so be sure to boil them in advance. 

3. If you prefer to use meat, brown a pound of ground turkey or beef with 1/4 an onion. Don't cook the meat all the way: Cook only the onions thoroughly, so that the meat doesn't dry out!

4. Drain the kidney and pinto beans, then pour them into a large pot.

5. Drain and rinse out black beans, then pour those in pot.

6. Add in 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies too.

7. Dice a green pepper, the cooked carrots, and half of the leftover onion. Add those all to the pot as well.

8. Now, it's time to include your chili seasoning.

9. Pour olive oil around pot once.

10. Optional:

• Drench it in RedHot (if you can handle that).
• To Make As A Dip: After cooking the chili completely, transfer to an oven safe pan and add a layer of cheese. Heat in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. 

More Tips To Avoid Screwing Up The Recipe:

• If using a large pot, cook for an hour or until you think it looks done. 
• If using a crock pot, cook it on low for 5-6 hours.
• I've noticed that if you cook it on low for a while, it comes out better. (If you think it looks too thin, let it cook longer.)