One of my favorite things to eat growing up was Petro (aka tennessee chili).  Petro was this incredible fast food joint founded in Knoxville, TN that made vegetarian chili (and meat chili) topped with fritos, green onions, and sour cream.  Its seriously delicious, but unfortunately the one near my home closed down well before I learned to cook.  My mom & best friends mom did their best to recreate the dish (and they did a pretty amazing job) that it became one of the first dishes I made for the HUBS when we were dating.  He loved it so much that he made it for his parents...and well we got married.  Coincidence?  I think not 😂.  Fast forward 20 years, the HUBS and I recently came across a Petro and tried the real thing again.  It was as delicious as I remember.  

After trying the dish again, I was inspired to try recreating the dish fused with the Fresh & Easy canned vegetarian chili (which is delicious and unfortunately no longer exists).  This recipe is the result and was designated with the name "petrini" by the HUBS.

All this being said, if you are looking for a 5 min or less sort of dinner, than my Petro recipe is a better go to.  This requires marginally more effort but is delicious (and freezes well too!).  Enjoy!

PETRINI (VEGETARIAN & VEGAN) CHILI RECIPE

KITCHEN CHARISMA SHAH

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6-8)

1. 1 tbs butter (substitute with olive oil for vegan)
2. 2 tsp minced garlic
3. 1 tsp garlic powder
4. 1 tsp onion powder
5. 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
6. 2 tsp red mirchi (or cayenne pepper)
7. 1.5 tsp hot chili seasoning
8. 1/2 tsp ground cumin
9. 1/8 tsp cream of tartar powder
10. 1/2 tsp Williams Sonoma chili lime seasoning (optional)
11. 1 (15 oz) can of Bush Chili Beans (pinto beans in a mild chili sauce)
12. 1 (15 oz) can of Kidney Beans (drained)
13. 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
14. 1.5 tbs tomato paste
15. 1.5 c of frozen corn kernels
16. salt to taste (about 3/4 tsp)
17. 1 tbs lime juice
18. hot sauce of choice for garnish (we ♥️ this one)
19. sour cream, chopped red onions, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat.
2. Add the minced garlic.  Saute until golden.
3. Add all the spices & seasonings.  Stir until aromatic (~1.5 minutes).
4. Add the tomato paste.  Mix well.
5. Add the canned beans & tomatoes.  Cook until simmering.  
6. Add the corn.  Stir well, cover and bring to a light simmer (about 5-7 minutes).  
7. Serve with garnishes of your choosing.  We love to add lots of hot sauce, tortilla chips and fresh red onions!

NOTES:  This recipe can be adapted pretty easily for the instapot or slow cookers.  For the Instapot users: simply use the saute setting and proceed with the instructions as above (do not cover).  For slow cooker users: add all the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook covered for 6-8 hours.