Dinner: Cowboy Chili and Baked Bean Pot

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 slices smoky bacon, chopped, optional
1 1/2 pounds coarse-ground sirloin
2 Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 Fresno chile peppers, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 large fresh bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
4 cups beef stock
1/4 cup thick Worcestershire sauce
1 (16-ounce) can baked beans
1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes or diced tomatoes
Scallions, thinly sliced on an angle for topping

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, cook until browned, and remove with slotted spoon. Add the beef, brown well, and then add the potatoes, onions, chiles, carrot, garlic, chile powder, and bay leaf. Season the mixture liberally with salt and pepper, and cook 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.
Add the beer and stir about 2 minutes, or until the beer almost cooks out completely. Stir in the stock, thick Worcestershire sauce, baked beans, and tomatoes, and thicken to desired consistency, about 20 to 45 minutes over a steady simmer for loose to super-thick chili. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
Reheat over medium heat with a little water, if necessary, to loosen up the chili, so it will heat through without scorching. Serve in shallow bowls topped with green onions.

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