It’s January and no matter where you are in the Northern hemisphere, it’s probably a few degrees colder than usual.  Here in LA it’s been coat and sweater weather.  What better time to make chili??  I have a recipe that my family makes but I decided to try one out of the Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker, & Soups cookbook I got for Christmas.  I’m fairly pleased with the result.  This recipe was easy to make and you can clean house or do homework, etc while it’s cooking.   The plums add an interesting sweetness to the taste.  I’m taking this to work with me for lunch this week.

3 pounds beef top sirloin steak, cubed (in an effort to keep costs down I just got regular stew meat)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups water

1 can (16 oz) chili beans, undrained

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth (I measured it out from a box instead of a can)

1 package (12 oz) pitted dried plums, chopped (aka prunes)

3 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon salt

Dash cayenne pepper

1. In a Dutch oven (for those who don’t know what this is, it’s a big, heavy cast iron pot that you could put in the oven if you wanted to), brown beef in oil in batches.  Remove and keep warm.

Add sausage and onion to the pan; cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

2. Return beef to pan; stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.

And that’s all she wrote!  I served mine with brown rice.  Easy and perfect for a cold winter night.  Happy cooking!