Chili (Wendy's version)

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Top Secret Recipes
version of
Wendy's Chili
by Todd Wilbur
Here's a favorite recipe for chili that clones the stuff served at the Wendy's chain. Dave Thomas, Wendy's founder, has been serving this chili since 1969, the year the first Wendy's opened its doors. Over the years the recipe has changed a bit, but this version here is an amazing copy of the version of chili served in the early 90's. Try topping it with some chopped onion and cheddar cheese, as you can request in the restaurant.

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
  • One 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid) (Michelle just uses one 15 oz can light red kidney beans)
  • One 29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid) (Michelle just uses one 15 oz can of pinto)
  • 1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
  • 1/2 cup diced green chili (2 chilies) (Michelle puts in 3-*4 small cans of diced green chili)
  • 1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt (Michelle might add a little more salt)
  • 2 cups water (Michelle just uses 1 cup water)

Preparation

Step 1

When Frank doubled recipe, he used three 15 oz cans of beans all together: one 15 oz can of kidney beans, one 15 oz can of pinto beans and one 15 oz can of chili beans. He also used only 4 small cans of diced green chili; whereas I probably would have added another 1 or 2 more cans. And he didn’t add any more water – just 1 cup of water even though he doubled the recipe and I would have done the same.
1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat.
2. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.
3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.
From: http://www.topsecretrecipes.com
Makes about 12 servings.
Tidbits
For spicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon more black pepper.
For much spicier chili, add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper.
And for a real stomach stinger, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot.
Leftovers can be frozen for several months.

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