Football, Tailgates and Autumn Leaves, it’s time to break out the Chili…
My recipe for Hearty Bison Chocolate Chili is perfect for Fall and the cooler weather that comes with it. And this Bison Chili is robust with full-bodied flavor of red chili rounded out with cinnamon and chocolate. My Hearty Bison Chocolate Chili is easy and quick to prepare and ready to serve in 40 minutes.
The Tomatoes
Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes are the star in this dish. The tomatoes are sweet and chunky. If you have the opportunity to compare these side by side, I’m sure you will agree that these tomatoes are superb.
Hatch Chiles
Hatch Chiles are only grown in New Mexico; and they have a unique flavor partially due to their growing conditions. These are my favorite go to chilies. However, feel free to substitute with Ortega chilies or your favorite brand. Additionally, I would like to note that this chili recipe is on the milder side. My personal preference is to make chili a bit spicier. As a result I toss in a tablespoon or two of “Hot” Hatch Chilies to bring up the heat level. But this is all personal preference.
The Bison
I chose bison for this chili as it is generally leaner than most cuts of beef, lower in saturated fats and it is higher in protein. Grass-Fed Bison is readily available at warehouse stores, like Costco. If you have not tried bison, I would urge you to give it a try just once. I think you will be surprised by it’s taste. It is not gamey at all. The meat has great flavor and is lean. And honestly if you didn’t know that bison was being used, I’m not sure you would be able to tell the difference. However, ground beef could easily be exchanged for the Bison. If you use 90/10 super lean beef, each serving is 8 WW Smart Points per serving.
This recipe calls for draining the bison after it has been cooked. Even though Bison is very lean and only 2 teaspoons of olive oil is used to cook the onion, I drain my chili meat. Simply put my reason is this, my husband has found that when I drain the meat, the chili doesn’t come back for round two. But if this isn’t a problem for you, feel free to omit this step.
Weight Watchers and Waist Watchers
- Made with Bison: A 1 3/4 cup serving is 5 WW Smart Points! That’s one hearty meal.
- Made with 90/10 Beef: A 1 3/4 cup serving is 8 WW Smart Points.
Buon Appetito!
[tasty-recipe id=”2465″]
