Spicy lamb & black bean chili

Chilis are hard to make quickly! That's because they benefit so much from long slow cooking that lets the flavors develop. Still, this particular chili is so flavorful, that even if you have to make it quickly at the end of the day as a thirty minute meal, it'll taste great. It would just be better if you could assemble it earlier and let it simmer in a crock pot all day. The recipe calls for black beans, which I like, but I find them to be a bit overpowering, so I mixed half and half black beans and pinto beans.

Spicy lamb and black bean chili goes together very quickly, especially if you've already pre-cooked the meat and chopped the onion during your once a week food prep. But even if you haven't, it's not going to take more than about half an hour to put this together. Serve it with a green salad and maybe some crusty rolls or cornbread if you like, and you're set to eat.

Spicy Lamb & Black Bean Chili

1 lb ground lamb
1/2 c chopped onion
Olive oil

1-1/2 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
Salt
1/2 t ground red pepper
24 oz tomato sauce
4 cans of black beans, 15 oz (or a mix of black beans and pintos)

Brown the lamb and onions together in olive oil (or brown the onions and heat up the pre-cooked lamb). Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serves 4 with hearty appetites.