Opening day of the Kentucky firearm deer season dawned unseasonably cold this year. And around here, a cold day afield means one thing. Venison chili. We’ve done chili before on Timber2Table, but you can never have too many chili recipes in your pocket.

Serve the chili with shredded cheese, sour cream, or your favorite toppings.

While I almost never make chili the same way twice, this recipe sees more use than most. I have made it for numerous chili cookoffs, and it always seems to place at or near the top.

While I am firmly in the “real-chili-doesn’t-have-beans” camp, I get outvoted four to one around here in that department. So most of our chili has beans. If you are going to eat beans, they might as well be good. In chili or just as a side, Ranch Beans are some of my favorite, so that’s what I normally use.

For spice and a well-rounded flavor, we use a blend of dark and light chili powders. You don’t have to use dark and light varieties, but try to use at least two of your favorite brands for more flavor. For a smoky background, we use a mixture of smoked paprika and diced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Dice the onions, peppers and celery before adding them to the chili.

To build extra flavor layers, the chili powders and other spices go in at separate times during the cooking process. Feeding a hungry deer camp? The recipe easily doubles.

A blend of chili powders and other spices adds depth to the chili flavor.