This hearty Chasen’s Chili recipe supposedly came from the famous Chasen’s Restaurant in Hollywood, CA.

Back in the 1970’s my mother got a copy of this recipe. The recipe claimed that it was the same one that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had flown to them on the set of Cleopatra.
I am sure it is just an urban legend, but it is mighty delicious.
Through the years Mom and I both made modifications to make it healthier and easier using modern appliances (slow cooker or pressure cooker) without losing any of the taste.
No matter how we make it, we always serve this with Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread.
The “Original” Chasen’s Chili

Ingredients
- ½ pound pinto beans
- 5 cups canned tomatoes
- 1 pound green bell pepper chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon salad oil
- 1 ½ pound onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ pound beef chuck course or chili grind
- 1 ½ pound lean ground pork
- ⅓ cup chili powder
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed
Instructions
- Wash beans and soak covered in water overnight.
- Simmer beans covered in water until tender. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Sauté green pepper in salad oil 5 minutes. Add onion; cook until tender, stirring often.
- Add garlic, parsley. Melt butter and sauté meat for 15 minutes. Add meat to onion mixture, stir in chili powder and cook 15 minutes. Add this to beans and add spices. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Cook uncovered 30 minutes. Skim fat from top.
Until next time, happy eating
~Audrey
Sounds delicious! I love chili and now is the time to start making some. I love heat, so what I like about this is I can share it and just had heat to mine. Thank you.
That’s what happens at my house too, Winnie. I spice mine up, but the boys like it mild.