I have been tasked by SWOMBO to provide good chili for 50 people. So this isn't about what proper chili is or isn't.

It is about flavourful chili that is acceptable to 50 different people (hence the mild chili powder and tomato). Everything I have found via google for 50pax is.....well, horrid. And my stand by recipe is waaaayyyyyy to hot for the people this far north. It should go without saying that cheaper is better (hence the bean filler and ground beef). Can anyone help out with suggestions?

So far I have:

15 lbs Ground beef, browned and drained
8-10 eaYellow Onions, small diced
2 eaHeads of Garlic, minced
8 eaGreen Bell Peppers, small diced
4 eaRed Bell Peppers, small diced
4 ea28oz cans of Crushed Tomatoes
9 ea6oz cans of Tomato Paste
6 cupsStrong Brewed Coffee
3 ea28oz Beef Broth
8 ea16oz cans of Kidney Beans
1 1/4 cupsMild Chili Powder
5 tbspGround Cumin
1 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
1 1/4 cupsUnsweetened Coco Powder
2 tbspDried Oregano
2 tbspGround Coriander
2 tbspGround Paprika
4 tbspSalt
4 tbspGround Black Pepper

http://www.quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/publications/recipes/section_l/L17000.pdf

Recipe for 100, from the Master recipe list for the armed forces.

It doesn't have to be fancy to be good.

25 lbs of lean ground beef
25 cans of diced tomatoes
25 cans of beans
25 cans of diced green chili
1 big container of chili powder
1 small jar of Cheyenne pepper
Salt

Brown and season the meat, add the canned stuff and more seasoning, simmer for about half an hour.  Be careful with the Cheyenne if you use it (it isn't necessary), it's easy to overdo it.  Use hot Mexican chili powder instead, and leave the Cheyenne out entirely.  It will have a little kick to it, but the flavor is better.  Your grocery store probably only sells the smaller jars of it...you can get the bigger sizes on Amazon, though.

Goes great with corn muffins.

Where are the onions?

In the fridge, where they belong.  You can dice some up fine and use them as a topping if you want.

Nobody believed me when I said there were no onions in it, except the 2 people deathly allergic to onions, who knew I wouldn't fuck with them like that.

I use an electric roaster (yeah, the one like Grandma's).  

I go down to Costco and get a Uuuuuuge chunk of top round.  I cut it into small chunks and then brown it with flour and season salt.  I put it in the roaster with a few cans of tomato sauce, sufficient broth, a uuuuge amount of New Mexico chile powder, some cumin, salt and pepper, and some sweated down onion.  Slow cook at low temp all night.  

I may not remember all of the people, but they all know me.  A good Texas red all meat chili will make you famous.  

I only use beans for people that I don't like much.

All of that mass, and when you get to your seasonings you are using tbsp except for the chili powder? I would certainly add in a ton of cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, and coriander. Otherwise no one will be able to taste 4 tbsp of salt on 15lbs of beef plus a ton of other ingredients. Otherwise, looks good, although ive never had chili with coffee, and coco powder in it.

They got it right. Not a damn bean one in that recipe.

What the hell are you going to cook this mess in?

I have been hunting randomly for years for an XXXL sized crock pot to cook up large batches of Chili so its all nice and uniform and I can freeze most of it for the nights I get home late and am too tired to cook proper.

18 qt would be ideal

50 people, assuming two bowls a person (if they're worth feeding they're worth overfeeding) you'll need about 5-10 pounds more meat, and the rest of the ingredients increased proportionally.



My last batch of chili used 1/4lb of habañeros, as well as other hot stuff. My Yankee ass loves "face raped by blowtorch" levels of heat. Mexican is spicy, but Thai is hot. My son has some Carolina Reaper mash inbound for my next batch. The only reason I settled for habañeros is nobody had any fresh ghost peppers.

An electric roaster heats very evenly and can be turned down to crock pot temperatures.  It is great for stews, chili, turkey, even to heat as a large water pan for a uuuuuge amount of hot dags.  Uses are limitless.  Most are made in chiiiiina these days, but they are still decent.

22quart:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KNMJ1QO?tag=vglnk-c102-20

I have never lost using this recipe, neither has anyone who I passe dit onto.  I know restuarants who make one batch and sell pit before lunch.  Adjust for servings on the oage and it will give you what need.

Awesome oart about chili is that its almost better reheated so you can make multiple batches.


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/78299/boilermaker-tailgate-chili/

I have one similar to that, to me it is way too shallow and I have not had good results with stews and chili. Mine has a high domed type lid and does fine for roasting. I have done chickens in pairs with lots of veggies - that worked a real treat.

Distinct lack of beans.......so you basically have a shit ton of meat sauce.

do yourself a favor and instead of buying the little cans just buy a few #10 cans of whatever canned items you need. it'll be quite a bit cheaper.