Fully Loaded Chili -- The Brewers Are Going to the NLCS and Dad Had Three Bowls

Brewers playoff baseball. I am a wreck. The NLDS starts this week against Colorado. I've been stress-cooking, which is what happens when a person with anxiety also happens to be a person who copes through food. Monday night I made three dozen pierogi for no reason. Tuesday I made a pot of bigos big enough to feed twelve people. Wednesday I made bread — actual bread, from scratch, which I've never done before — because I needed to punch something and dough seemed like a good candidate. The bread, incidentally, was terrible. Dense, underproofed, with a crust that could deflect bullets. But the process was therapeutic. Kneading is violence that produces something good, which is a metaphor I'm going to save for when I'm less stressed about baseball. Game 1 was Thursday. Brewers won 3-2. I watched at a bar on KK with some brewery guys, and when the last out was recorded, the entire bar erupted. Strangers hugging. Beer spilling. A guy in a Yount jersey crying actual tears. Milwaukee is beautiful when it's happy. Game 2 was Friday. Brewers won 4-0. A shutout. I watched at Dad's house. Dad didn't speak for the last three innings — he's superstitious in a way that would be endearing if it weren't so intense. When the game ended, he exhaled like he'd been holding his breath since the seventh inning, which he might have been. I made chili for the games. Not Polish — this is firmly American territory. Ground beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, a splash of beer (Forest Floor, because dark beer makes dark chili better). Topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and diced onion. It's a simple recipe but it's mine — I've been tweaking it since college-age, adjusting the spice level, the bean ratio, the beer. This version is the best one yet. Dad had three bowls. The Brewers swept Colorado on Sunday. SWEPT THEM. Three games, three wins, moving on to the NLCS. I haven't been this happy since... I don't know when. Maybe the pierogi breakthrough. Maybe the day Helen's Wheat went on the board. Some version of pure, uncomplicated joy that doesn't have grief or loss or longing attached to it. Just: my team won and I'm happy and the chili is good and Dad is smiling.

This is the chili from the story — the one I’ve been quietly refining since college, the one that anchored Game 1 and Game 2 and every anxious hour in between. I’ve written it out properly for the first time because Dad asked for it after his third bowl, and I figured if it’s good enough to make a superstitious man break his silence in the ninth inning, it’s good enough to share. Use a dark beer if you can — Forest Floor is my pick, but any stout or porter will do the same work — and don’t skip the toppings.

Fully Loaded Chili

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (plus more for topping)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dark beer (stout or porter recommended)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
• Sour cream, for topping
• Diced white onion, for topping

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
2. Soften the aromatics. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook with the beef until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Build the base. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, letting it caramelize slightly against the bottom of the pot. This deepens the flavor.
4. Add liquids and beans. Pour in the dark beer and stir to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth, and kidney beans. Stir to combine.
5. Season. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili has thickened and the flavors have melded. Taste and adjust salt and spice as needed.
7. Serve loaded. Ladle into bowls and top generously with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and diced onion. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 680mg