So…last Fall, I adapted a recipe for chipotle chicken chili from a show I’d seen, made it about once a week, and entered it in an online chili cookoff.

The show was one that was produced by Martha Stewart…and I got a thank you not for driving traffic to their website last December.

We ate it as a family until we got totally burned out on it…but I was happy anyway.

And the chili cookoff? It won the meat and poulty category.

It’s a good chili recipe.

But this year, I wanted to tweak it – make it a little more paleo-fied, if you will.

And my family agreed – unanimously – that it was even better than the orginal.

Here’s the new version:

Paleo Chipotle Beef Chili
serves 8

10 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 jalapeno chile, halved (I removed a few of the seeds)
1 white onion, peeled and halved
4 garlic cloves (more would be good)
2 T. coconut oil
2 pounds grass fed ground beef
4 carrots, grated
4 zucchini, grated
1 pound mushrooms – white button or baby bellas, also grated
3 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (more or less based on your heat preference)
1.5 to 2 c. chicken stock (or as needed to thin to your favorite chili consistency)
2 t. salt
Optional for serving: avocado and coconut milk

• Preheat broiler, with rack 3 inches from heat source. Arrange tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until starting to char, about 5 minutes. Pulse tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, onion and any liquid from the baking sheet in a blender or a food processor until chunky. Chop onion.
• Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably enamel cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Add oil. Brown ground beef. Once beef is cooked, set aside and remove most of the drippings.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add  carrots, mushrooms and zucchini to skillet. Cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Add chili powder, cumin and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in chipotles and ground beef. Raise heat to high and add tomato-jalapeno-garlic mixture. Cook until fully incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in stock; simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• Serve with chopped avocado and a little coconut milk (optional – it really helps if you get it too spicy…not that I’m talking from experience or anything)

Note: I’m still using the canned chipotles. One of these days I’ll attempt roasting my own, but for now I found a brand that has nothing added that I’m uncomfortable with.

Also, I usually roast and blend the tomatoes and such earlier in the day – once that’s done, it’s about 30 minutes until the chili is ready. It can be simmered longer, but it’s not totally necessary.

Freezes well and makes for awesome leftovers.