Description

Toe Chili is a spooky Halloween-themed chili recipe that combines rich ground beef and beef chorizo with Hatch chiles, roasted red bell peppers, and a blend of spices. Topped with creatively prepared little smokies sausages designed to resemble toes with onion ‘nails,’ this chili is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for a festive party or cozy gathering.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Sausages

3 lbs. ground beef
2 tubes beef chorizo
1 package little smokies kielbasa (with added onion nails)

Vegetables

2 medium yellow onions
1½ cups Hatch Chiles, chopped
¾ cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

Beans and Legumes

5 14 oz. cans Black Chili Beans

Spices and Condiments

3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Epazote

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Instructions

Brown the Meats: In a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Drain any excess fat to keep the chili from being greasy.
Add Chorizo and Vegetables: Crumble the beef chorizo into the pan along with the chopped onions, Hatch chiles, roasted red bell peppers, and minced garlic. Stir everything together to combine.
Add Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, and Spices: Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, and epazote over the mixture. Stir well to evenly distribute all ingredients.
Add Black Chili Beans and Simmer: Rinse and drain the black chili beans, then add them to the pot. Reduce heat to low and let the chili simmer gently for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can transfer the chili to a crockpot and cook on low for about 5 hours for deeper flavor development.
Prepare Sausage Toes: While the chili simmers, slice a wedge out of each little smokies sausage to create a ‘nail bed’ for the onion nails. Cut onions into thin rectangular slices suitable for the nails.
Attach Onion Nails: Insert the onion slices into the nail beds on the sausages. For longer onion pieces, push them into the cut part of the sausage to secure. Using a paring knife, make shallow cuts in the sausages to mimic the creases between toes.
Broil Sausage Toes: Place the prepared sausage toes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Broil under a preheated broiler for about 2 minutes, just enough to heat the sausages and separate the creases, and lightly cook the onions. Some onion pieces may fall off; reposition them as needed.
Combine and Serve: About 10 minutes before serving, add the broiled sausage toes onto the top of the chili, allowing them to heat through. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired and serve hot.

Notes

This spooky recipe will make your toes curl on Halloween by adding mini hotdog toes to your favorite chili.
The onion ‘nails’ add a creepy, creative touch but can be omitted if preferred.
You can adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the chili powder and Hatch chiles.
For a thicker chili, let it simmer uncovered for a longer time to reduce the liquid.
Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and also freeze well for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup chili with sausage toes
Calories: 420
Sugar: 7g
Sodium: 850mg
Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Unsaturated Fat: 14g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 21g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 28g
Cholesterol: 85mg