Chili with Chipotle and Chocolate

I finally gave in and made this chili with chocolate.  It has popped up for years in so many magazines, but I have been skeptical about trying it.  I love the Americanized Mexican food and our local waiter has been forever pushing the Mole sauce and I just keep saying no.  In my mind it is just a weird combination.    Chile peppers and chocolate have been used together in Latin American and Mexican food for centuries.  After having this chili I can see why and it is not even as labor intensive as the original mole.  Chocolate gives this dish depth and creaminess that is very hard to describe.  You will just have to try it yourself.  Don’t wait as long as I have because it’s really good.

The original recipe called for ground turkey, but I used ground beef which I kept it really chunky while browning it.  The only other change that I made to the recipe was to increase the amount of Chipotle peppers for some added heat.

Chili with Chipotle and Chocolate  Cooking Light  December 2007 with a few changes

• 2 1/2 cups diced onion (about 2 large)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 4 cloves minced garlic
•  2 pounds ground meat browned and drained
• 3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon  Mexican chilie powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans , rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (20–ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced  ( I used more for more spice and heat)
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• Chopped green onions (optional)

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Coat pan with cooking spray.
3.  Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ground meat to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.
4.  Add sugar and next 9 ingredients (through chipotle) to pan, stirring to blend; bring to a boil.
5.  Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate, stirring to melt.
6.  Ladle 1 1/4 cups chili in each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream. Garnish with green onions.

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