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America's Melting Pot
Army Chili hero image coming soon
1930-1945 - U.S. military mess cooks adapting Texas chili con carne
A practical ground-beef chili with beans, tomatoes, onion, chili powder, cumin, and paprika, adapted from Armed Forces chili con carne formulas for a family pot.
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Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
1 hour 15 minutes
Total time
1 hour 30 minutes
Servings
6 to 8
Region
United States military mess halls
Era introduced
1930-1945
Introduced by
U.S. military mess cooks adapting Texas chili con carne
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Chili moved through American life by many routes: Texas and Mexican-American cooking, diners, school cafeterias, canteens, and military mess halls. Armed Forces Recipe Service chili con carne formulas were designed for 100 portions, using beef, beans, tomatoes, onions, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and careful hot-holding temperatures. This version scales the idea down for a family pot while keeping the plainspoken mess-hall character: filling, economical, and built for seconds.
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