As far as chili goes, you can pretty much throw whatever you have in the pot. In this recipe I used all sorts of stuff to make a huge batch.
Butter, garlic, carrots, onions, and green peppers go in first. I added chili powder and cayenne here so the veggies would be spicy. Let them cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Then half a jar of hot salsa, a can of corn, and 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Then chili beans, kidney beans, and butter beans. Let it simmer until all of the veggies are soft- about 30 minutes.
*Extra spices that could be added: cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa, paprika, cilantro, hot sauce or...grape jelly (which adds just a tiny bit of sweet)
*Good things that could be added: more beans- as they are a wonderful source of fiber, any kind of spicy chillies or peppers- jalapeno, serrano, habenero, chipotle or ancho, or top it with avocado
*Naughty things that could be added: pepperjack cheese, beer (like Dos Equis), or top it off with sour cream
*To make it non-vegetarian: chorizo, andouille, spiced ground turkey
