A crisp autumn day begs for a steaming bowl of chili, warm bread and a salad. During the summer months most of our meals are prepared on the grill, but when fall arrives I come back inside and simmer pots of chili, soup, or stew on the stove. I love when my husband or kids walk through the door asking, "What smells so good?"

I have experimented with many different chili recipes over the years. For the past couple of years, this recipe has been my favorite. I have made this recipe at least two or three times a month during the fall and winter. My whole family likes it and we all know the value of a universally approved recipe! (That is, when you are a parent of young kids and universe is defined as your family.)

I don't always have the exact ingredients called for in this recipe. A little substitution is fine with me, it sure beats driving an hour to town when I am out of one or two ingredients. Chances are you have most of the ingredients on hand. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it calls for black beans instead of traditional pinto beans. Nothing against pinto beans, but black beans are a pleasant surprise. For reasons I cannot explain, each one of my children likes black beans and declares black beans as their favorite type of bean. Okay, the baby doesn't declare black beans as his favorite; he isn't talking yet (and I confess I enjoy having one child not asking me 684 questions every day!).

Cowboy Beef and Black Bean Chili

adapted from The Healthy Beef Cookbook

Brown ground beef in stockpot over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Remove from stockpot with slotted spoon. Set aside. Pour off drippings.

Heat oil in same stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add bell peppers and anaheim pepper; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Return beef crumbles to stockpot. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, and red pepper; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, beef, tomato paste, and honey; bring to a obil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Uncover stockpot; continue simmering 30 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans; cook 5 to 20 minutes or until beans are heated through. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Makes 8 servings. Total prep and cook time: 2 hours.

Give this recipe a try, I think you will like it. Leave a comment and let me know how it turns out for you or if you made any yummy changes.