It's Calgary Stampede time again and if you live in Cowtown that means a few things when it comes to food: Weird and sometimes gross Stampede foods on the midway, Beef on a Bun, free pancake breakfasts, mini doughnuts, and chili! And although chili is quintessential cowboy comfort food, in my books, it's far from possessing any 'wow factor'. But THIS Quick and Easy Pork & Beef Stovetop Chili will seriously knock your boots off! And it's Weight Watchers friendly @ 6 WW points.
Here's what others are saying: "This is BY FAR the best chili I have ever made and tasted!! So easy, so yummy and the fresh dill is the deal breaker. I would give it 6 stars if I could! Thank you for sharing Terri!!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I entered a chili cook-off at work many years ago during Stampede. And at the time, I thought my classic chili recipe was pretty wonderful.
I'm usually not a very boastful person about most things, but I can be pretty conceited when it comes to my cooking. I tend to think my recipe is the best recipe. And although it's often justified, sometimes I'm put in my place.
Jump to:
When I first tried this beef and pork chili, I was completely blown away! It was so unique and completely different from anything I'd ever had before. Yet, there was something familiar that I couldn't put my finger on....
🥘Ingredients
The secret ingredient was dill. Yes, dill in chili. Dill is the best! I know it sounds odd but does it ever work! But the dill needs to be fresh. I don't recommend using dry. Aunt Norma (my husband's aunt, from whom I originally got this recipe) picked the dill straight out of her garden. I buy it from the store and it's still amazing. So you don't have to grow your own dill to make this recipe sing, but you do have to use fresh dill. This is critical.
Besides fresh dill, for this stovetop chili, you'll also need:
- ground pork
- extra lean ground beef
- diced onions
- green peppers
- garlic
- chili seasoning mix (I use Clubhouse)
- diced canned tomatoes
- tomato soup
- ground cumin
- red kidney beans
- mashed potatoes (optional)
- sour cream (optional)
- cheddar cheese (optional)
*See recipe card for quantities
I'm a little crazy about dill. Perhaps it's the Ukrainian in me because my Dad tells me he's the same. But funny enough, I didn't get this recipe from my Ukrainian side of the family (or my husband's Ukrainian side). Therefore, I may not be the most objective judge when it comes to dill in recipes. But both my kids deemed this chili version as, "the best chili ever!"
Then of course they said, "No offense, Mom." None taken. They were bang on.
KIDNEY BEANS: I only put kidney beans in my chili and not baked beans. Because you can have too much of a good thing, right?
It also has both GROUND PORK and GROUND BEEF. The pork adds a unique flavor to this chili, which is a welcome change from the straight-up beef!
📖 Variations
- Dill - you can use dry dill in a pinch (uses half the amount), but I do not recommend - fresh dill makes this recipe!
- Mushrooms - use fresh or canned
- Ground meat - if you don't have ground pork, you can use all ground beef. Or you can use ground turkey or ground chicken to lighten it up.
- Chili seasoning - I've had a tough time finding the spicy version of the Clubhouse chili seasoning for the past year, so I use 1 full package of the regular and add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon crushed chili peppers. You don't need to add chili powder because it's in the mix.
- Onions - you can use green onions instead of white onions
- Toppings - you can use your favorite toppings. I like to use sour cream and grated cheese, but you could also use tortilla chips and add hot sauce, if you like.
- Add-ins - you can add black beans or chili beans (pinto beans) in addition or in place of kidney beans
- Sweetener- if you want to add a little sweetener to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, use ½ tablespoon of brown sugar
- Tomatoes - you can use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes
🥗 Side dishes
And I serve this easy Chili recipe with Mashed Potatoes: It was recommended that we try it atop mashed potatoes. Say what?!
I had never heard of anything so odd, but I'm a relatively adventurous foodie (and I didn't want to be rude) so I gave it a go. And OMG! Why had I never eaten chili on top of mashed potatoes before? I couldn't believe what I had been missing!
Where have you been all my life?!
💭 Top tip
If you are going to use instant mashed potatoes, I recommend Honest Earth brand (affiliate link) - they taste the closest to REAL mashed potatoes I've ever tasted!
You can also serve this delicious chili with garlic toast, bread and butter, dinner buns, Breadsticks, or if you're looking for something lighter, try my Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe (shown).
👪 Serving Size
This pork and beef chili serves 6. However, you can double or triple the recipe by simply clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover chili in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. It freezes really well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
🔢WW Points
This easy stovetop chili recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 6 WW points. Lighten it up by swapping out the beef and pork for ground chicken or turkey.
I didn't win that chili cook-off at work all those years ago. And to be honest, I was a little deflated. And that was long before I even started cooking competitively. A team of food service staff (cooks etc.) won. And given their professions, I didn't exactly feel "put in my place." And although their chili was pretty good, it still pales in comparison to this one.
Now this chili ... this definitely put me in my place! So, if you're looking for an easy recipe for chili that will impress, give this one a try!
Happy Stampede Chili cooking!
Since making chili during Stampede is just what you do, you'll need the best chili recipe- this one! It's a quick, easy and unique Stove Top chili recipe that's done in under 30 minutes. And it's perfect for a quick one-pot dinner, very freezer friendly and great for feeding a crowd of happy Stampeders any time of the year!
If you're looking for more chili recipes, be sure to check out this list of award-winning chilis!
📋 Pork and Beef Stovetop Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 med onion chopped
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ lb extra lean ground beef
- 227 g can of mushrooms (or use fresh)
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ 35 g pkg Clubhouse chili seasoning mix
- ½ 35 g pkg Clubhouse spicy seasoning mix
- 1 -28 oz can diced tomatoes (796 ml)
- 1 10 -10 oz can tomato soup
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 -540 ml can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped **FRESH dill is a must!
- 6 cups mashed potatoes Optional * you can use leftover or instant mashed potatoes (see Notes)
Garnish (optional)
- grated light cheese
- light sour cream
- additional fresh dill
Instructions
- Brown the ground pork and beef with diced onion and peppers over medium-high heat.
- When the meat, onions and peppers are browned, add the remaining ingredients (except dill, cheese and mashed potatoes)
- Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat, then add fresh dill.
- Serve on top of 1 cup of mashed potatoes. *Optional but highly recommended! * Mashed potatoes are included in Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points calculation.
Garnish (optional)
- Top with sour cream, dill, green onion and grated cheese, if desired.
Denise from Urb'n'Spice
It looks like a winner recipe to me, Terri! The fresh dill is an awesome addition to the ingredients and I am sure to the overall flavour of your Quick and Easy Pork and Beef Chili (love that you used a pork and beef combination, included WW points and served it atop mashed potatoes, too). I cannot wait to try your chili soon!
Terri Gilson
Thank you, Denise! I hope you enjoy it....Yes, I was pleasantly surprised when I calculated the WW points! 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I usually make chili quite a bit, especially in the fall of the year. I never thought to add fresh dill, or to use it as a topping for mash potatoes! Both brilliant ideas!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Leanne! Yeah, give it a try with the dill and mashed potatoes - I was amazed at how good it is 🙂
Sharon
This is BY FAR the best chili I have ever made and tasted!! So easy, so yummy and the fresh dill is the deal breaker. I would give it 6 stars if I could.
Thank you for sharing Teri!!
Terri Gilson
Hi Sharon - so glad you loved it! Yes, and I agree - the fresh dill makes it sing 🙂