Comfort Food; Southwestern Chili

I thought I would share one of my quick & easy no frills meals. I really don't recall where I got this recipe, as I have been making it for over 10 years! I love tweaking recipes to get things "just right", but this one is perfect as is.

Sometimes when I am on my healthy kick, I sub ground turkey for ground beef. It's delicious that way too, and has more of a softer texture. Just a heads-up for those that are sensitive to things that are spicy; there is a heaping 1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder in this recipe. It isn't too hot, but it does have some kick to it.

Southwestern Chili [Adapted from an amalgamation of recipes]
1lb of Ground Beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 green chili's, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 large bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes [the kind that has basil, and oregano in it]
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat; add onion, garlic, and chili's and cook for 3 min or until onions are translucent. Transfer onion mixture into a large stock pan; set aside. - Brown ground beef in same pan that you used to saute onions; add cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves. Also add Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste.

After meat is cooked, add it to the stock pot you put the onion mixture in; [turn on heat to low setting]. Add beans [do not drain], tomatoes, dried oregano, basil, and water. Let chili simmer for about 25-35 minutes or until beans are soft, and the flavors are well blended.

I like to serve mine with a heaping amount of sharp cheddar, and blue tortillas.