Hearty Beef Chili in Corn Tortilla Boats

You know me, I just can't seem to serve things the normal way. Take this chili for example. It's savory and rich, and loaded with seasonings and black beans. I certainly could have served it in regular bowls and everyone would have been happy. But, nope, regular bowls wouldn't do. I wanted crunch to accompany my chili. So I spooned the chili in seasoned and toasted corn tortillas. It took just 10 minutes to pull the chili boats together (by nestling them into a muffin pan and baking them), but WOW, what a great presentation. And trust me, the crunch of the tortilla perfectly compliments the chili.

Want to prep ahead? You can make the chili up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat. The tortilla boats should be prepared the same day so they keep their crunch - but you can do that while the chili is reheating.

Hearty Beef Chili in Corn Tortilla Boats

1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder (I did half regular chili powder and half chipotle chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons ketchup
15-ounce can seasoned chili beans or seasoned black beans, undrained
8 soft corn tortillas
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons fajita or taco seasoning
Optional toppings:
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Avocado
Green onions
Cilantro
Jalapenos

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Brown the beef in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat and return the beef to the pan. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, broth and ketchup and bring to a simmer. Stir in the beans, with the sauce from the can.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (and up to 1 hour).
Meanwhile, cut a thin line from the center of each tortilla to the outside (this makes it easier to fold the tortilla in on itself). Fold the tortilla into a saucer-shaped bowl and nestle the bowls into a regular-size muffin pan. Spray the tortillas with cooking spray and season with the fajita seasoning.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve the chili in the tortilla boats and serve with cheddar cheese on the side.

Serves 4