breakfast chili

prep time: 10 minutes • cook time: 2 hours 15 minutes • yield: 12 servings (1 cup per serving)

4 slices bacon, diced

1 pound 80% lean ground beef

1 pound Mexican-style fresh (raw) chorizo, removed from casings

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices

1 cup tomato sauce

¼ cup chopped onions

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 green chiles, chopped

½ cup beef bone broth, home-made ( see here ) or store-bought

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons dried ground oregano

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here ) (optional)

toppings (per serving):

1 large egg, fried sunny side up (omit for egg-free)

¼ avocado, cut into ½-inch dice

2 tablespoons diced cooked bacon (about 1 strip)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

1. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, fry the diced bacon until crisp, then remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Crumble the ground beef and chorizo into the hot pot and cook, stirring often to break up the meat, until evenly browned, about 7 minutes.

2. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the onions, bell pepper, chiles, cooked bacon, and beef broth and stir to combine. Season with the chili powder, oregano, garlic, cumin, cayenne, paprika, salt, black pepper, and sweetener, if using. Stir to blend, then cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste.

3. After 2 hours, taste and add more salt, pepper, and chili powder, if desired. Remove from the heat and serve each portion with a sunny-side-up egg, diced avocado, diced cooked bacon, and chopped chives. Store extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

note: This is one of the recipes featured in week 4 of the 30-day meal plan. It makes four more servings than you will need if you’re feeding two people, but it’s one of those dishes that is so worthwhile to make in a large batch. I recommend that you make the full recipe and freeze the leftovers in individual portions for easy breakfasts after you’ve completed the meal plan. Also, to help curb your sweet tooth during the cleanse, I suggest you omit the sweetener from this recipe.

busy family tip: Store extras in individual-serving containers for an easy breakfast option.