Taco Chili and Beans

We eat a lot of chili and beans and I always make it the same way.  After trying the Ortega Skillet Sauces I decided that I wanted to try a Mexican Chili and Beans and thought the Ortega Taco Skillet Sauce would be a nice base for my Taco Chili and Beans.

I started reminiscing of when I was in Girl Scouts and on our over-night camping trips we would fix chili and take the individual Fritos Corn Chips bags, pour chili in the bag for a hand held chili in a bag.  I really like the flavor and crunchy-ness of the Chili and Fritos together but instead I think I would rather use a bowl.   So here is my version of an old Girl Scout Classic.

Taco Chili and Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 jalapeños, minced (can substitute green bell pepper for the jalapeño)
1 pound extra lean ground beef (I used bison)
4 tablespoons Fiesta Quick Chili Mix (found in the Spice or Mexican section of the market)
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 package of Ortega Taco Skillet Sauce
1/2 cup water
1 32oz can crush tomatoes
1 27oz can red kidney beans
1 27oz can chili beans
2 3.8 oz cans of sliced black olives
Fritos Corn Chips

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, add onions and jalapeños (or green bell pepper), sauté for 5 minutes on a low heat.  Add ground beef, use a wooden spoon to break up, cook until browned. (If you use a lean ground beef you will not have to drain the fat, there will be just enough fat for flavor)

Add the Fiesta Quick Chili Mix and the Ortega Taco Skillet Sauce.  Put the water inside the Ortega pouch to get all that yummy sauce out of the bag and put in with the meat mixture.  Stir to mix everything together, cover and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes, both beans and black olives.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Fritos Corn Chips in a bowl top with the Taco Chili and Beans.  Serve with extra Fritos Corn Chips and your favorite chili toppings.

Chili Toppings:  Cheddar cheese, Mexico Fresco cheese, sour cream, fresh diced onions, salsa and guacamole.

For a thicker chili take 4 tablespoons of masa and almost a 1/4 cup of water mix together to make a slurry, add to chili after everything has been mixed together.

Note:  This is my own recipe I did not receive a "free" sample of the Ortega Taco Skillet Sauce from Ortega,  I purchased it myself from my local market.