This Sweet Farmhouse Chili recipe comes to us from a Mrs. Yoder (not Gloria Yoder...Yoder is a very, very common name among the Amish, kind of like Williams or Jones is among the non-Amish). She is an Amish homemaker with nine children who lives on a certified organic farm in rural Iowa. The Yoders grow almost all of their veggies and raise their own meats. With nine children she is a busy woman who likes simple, hearty meals that can stretch. This sweet farmhouse chili is one such dish.
Cincinnati Chili vs. Other Chili?
Chili is something that is really subject to regional variations and family traditions. In many Amish kitchens, chili is very “soupy." In fact, some of the recipes are simply called “chili soup “. In my part of the world, the greater Cincinnati area, chili is almost always served with spaghetti. Most outsiders look at us in the Cincinnati area with our three-way, four-way, and five-way chili as if we’re from the moon. Go elsewhere and people just don’t eat chili as we do in Greater Cincinnati.
Two of the most well-known Cincinnati-style chili chains are Skyline and Gold Star.
Cincinnati loves its chili. Beyond that, chili can get very complicated and complex. There’s chili with a hint of cayenne pepper, chili with cinnamon, chili with beans, chili without beans. With this particular recipe, brown sugar gives it sweetness. The chili powder in it kind of tempers the sweetness so you get these really great melds of flavors. This is a very simple chili recipe, but it is full of flavor.
Brown ground beef and onion in a cast-iron, stainless steel, or non-stick skillet.
Let the chili simmer. Now, you can, after you add the brown sugar, simply bring to a boil again and serve. So this is a quick chili if you want it to be. For me, personally, I like to let a chili simmer on the stove for a long time, really let the flavors meld. The instructions, though, with this recipe are Mrs. Yoder's and know she is busy, has a house full of children, and probably just wants to get supper on the table fast. But if you are able to put the chili on low and just let it bubble for a good hour or so, I think it tastes even better.
Salt Alert: The recipe as was given to me calls for a tablespoon and a half of salt. That seems like a lot. When we made it we didn't put any in and just added some after it was in our bowls. So, use your own judgment and taste on that ingredient! Update: Upon thinking, that had to be have been a mistake, so I changed it is from 1 ½ tablespoons to teaspoons.
I'd probably crumble some crackers into the chili, put a dollop of sour cream in the middle, and dump some shredded cheese on top. I might even reach for a bottle of hot sauce and put a squirt or two in. But here is Mrs. Yoder's recipe.
🥣 Mrs. Yoder's Sweet Farmhouse Chili
- 2 pounds hamburger
- 1 /2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 /2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1 /2 teaspoons salt
- 1 /2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1 /3 cup flour
- 4 cups water
- 1 quart home-canned kidney beans or store-bought
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 cups tomato juice
📋 Instructions
- Mix first five ingredients in a pan and brown.
- Remove from burner and add in the flour.
- Return to burner and add water.
- Bring to a boil and add beans and tomato juice.
- Bring to a boil and add brown sugar and stir until boiling again.
- Remove from heat. Ready to serve.
🥣 More Amish Chili Recipes
🖨️Full Recipes
Sweet Farmhouse Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds hamburger
- 1 /2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 /2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ⅓ cup flour
- 4 cups water
- 1 quart home-canned kidney beans or store-bought
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 cups tomato juice
Instructions
- Mix first five ingredients in a pan and brown.
- Remove from burner and add in the flour.
- Return to burner and add water.
- Bring to a boil and add beans and tomato juice.
- Bring to a boil and add brown sugar and stir until boiling again.
- Remove from heat. Ready to serve.
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