By Late September and the fall is just beginning to announce itself. The heat breaks a little each week now, slowly, the mornings cooler, the evenings forgiving. I have been walking home from the daycare on Thursdays when the weather allows, twenty minutes instead of the five-minute drive, because I need to be in the air more than I need to be home quickly.
I submitted my transfer application to UAB this week. University of Alabama at Birmingham. Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. I did this without telling anyone except Keisha, who said: finally, and then hugged me in the break room for a long enough time that Amber walked in and said sorry and backed out. Keisha called it right: finally. I have been thinking about this for a long time. The application is in. Now I wait.
I am twenty years old. I have a lead teacher job and an associate degree I am finishing and a blog and a cat and a Sunday table. I am submitting a transfer application to a four-year university. I am not a person who was told any of this would be possible. I am doing it anyway.
Made chili this week, my second full batch of the season, because September means chili season in my kitchen now. Dried beans soaked overnight, the full build with toasted spices first. The apartment smelled like fall ambition. Biscuit sat on the counter and watched every step with the gravity the situation deserved.
This is the chili I made that Thursday — Hoosier Chili, which I found a while back and have made my own through repetition and instinct. The dried beans matter. Soaking them overnight feels like an act of intention, like you decided yesterday that today was going to be worth feeding properly. I toasted the spices first in a dry pan the way I always do now, and when the smell hit the air, Biscuit came in from the other room like she’d been summoned. It’s the right recipe for a week when you’ve just done something that took a long time to finally do.
Hoosier Chili
Prep Time: 20 min (plus overnight soak) | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 50 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried kidney or pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the beans. The night before, cover dried beans with at least 3 inches of cold water. Let soak 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse.
- Toast the spices. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Toast dry in the pot for 60–90 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Remove spices to a small bowl and set aside.
- Brown the beef. Add olive oil to the same pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned all the way through, about 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Build the base. Add onion and bell pepper to the pot with the beef. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the toasted spices. Stir the reserved spice blend into the pot and cook for 1 minute, letting it coat the meat and vegetables.
- Add liquids and beans. Pour in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Add the drained soaked beans. Stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Simmer low and slow. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are fully tender and the chili has thickened.
- Taste and finish. Adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or chili powder to taste. Serve hot with cornbread, sour cream, shredded cheddar, or whatever your Sunday table calls for.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 580mg