Pizza Chili
It’s currently chili season and as we all know, it’s forever pizza season and so with that being said I think this Pizza Chili is the best thing that has come our way in a very long time. It’s the best of both worlds coming together to create one delicious dish you won’t be able to stop making. Trust me, I haven’t stopped. Chili that tastes just like pizza is like comfort food in a bowl, and speaking of bowls, if you serve it in savory garlic bread bowls you’ll win the dinner game. It’s been very cold here in Los Angeles, which can only mean that it’s definitely cold everywhere else and nothing warms you up quite like a big bowl of chili can and so this recipe is the way to go. Don’t like bread bowls? Serve over pasta and call it an Italian feast.
If you’re a pizza fan and a chili fan then you’ll love this Pizza Chili recipe! It is right up your alley. It’s the ultimate winter comfort food and I can’t recommend it enough. Give it a try and let me know what you think below. Also, did I mention that it freezes well? You can’t beat that.
Pizza Chili
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage removed from casing
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced and divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley divided
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 6 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 14.5 ounces white beans drained
- 14 ounces pizza sauce
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 15 ounces Italian stewed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 4 small sourdough bread rounds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Set a large dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown and crispy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage onto a plate and set aside. Add the ground beef to the pot and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until crispy and brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Return the sausage to the pot and add in the onion, bell pepper, and half of the minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened. Season with Italian seasoning, half of the parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir in the pepperoni, beans, pizza sauce, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the flame and cook until thickened, about 1 hour. Make sure to stir every now and then so that the chili doesn’t stick and burn.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine the remaining oil, garlic, parsley and butter. Cook over very low heat to infuse the oil and soften the garlic slightly. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the tops off the bread bowls, and scoop out most of the filling. Save for bread crumbs for a later user. Place the bread bowls on a baking sheet and brush the insides and the tops withs the garlic butter. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Give the chili a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed. To serve, ladle the chili in the bread bowls and top with mozzarella and fresh basil. Serve immediately and enjoy!
