Fooled Ya Venison Chili

1 - 2 lbs. Ground or stew meat venison
Olive oil
2 cans Kidney beans, well drained
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Chili powder
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 cube Beef bouillon in 1 cup warm water
2 cans Chopped tomatoes
1 can Tomato paste
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Ground cumin
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Corn meal
Hot sauce to taste(for me that's half a bottle, but for the family it's a dash or two)

Lightly brown venison in 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and drain. Combine venison and all other ingredients (except corn meal) in a slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. During last 30 minutes, add corn meal to thicken slightly. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream (we health conscious types use the fat-free version), chopped chives, and more hot sauce!

Somewhere around the age of 10 my daughter's decided they were not going to eat "deer meat", even though they had done so all of their lives. I secretly substituted venison for ground beef and kept tweaking my chili recipe until it met the family's collective approval.

Paul W. Thomas         


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