I’ve been more strict in counting my carbs, and while the last Bacon & Beef Chili was great, there were carbs in some of the things I added and didn’t taste the difference.
Version 2 leaves out the unnecessary ingredients, really ups the bacon to the majority of two packages, and adds more flavor with an additional pepper and mushroom to add a nice texture.
So here’s the ingredients and the numbers:
| Ingredient | Calories | Fat | Net Carbs | Protein |
| 2 lbs. 80/20 ground beef | 2272 | 179 | 0 | 152 |
| 5 Tbsp bacon fat | 570 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 packages of bacon, precooked | 840 | 42 | 0 | 56 |
| 1 can Trader Joes Chiles | 40 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1 14.5 oz can Trader Joes Fire roasted organic tomatoes with green chiles | 87 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 1 large green bell pepper | 48 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 1 large red bell pepper | 48 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2 tbsp chili powder | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 tsp ground cumin | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Trader Joe’s – Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms – 10 oz Container | 72 | 0 | 10 | 7 |
| Salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pepper | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total for the entire pot | 4049 | 284 | 53 | 227 |
| Total Per Portion (1/12) | 337 | 24 | 4 | 19 |
(The portions last time were a guesstimate. This time I put the chili in 1 cup covered glassware. While I already ate some, I think if were using one cup of the stuff, the number are pretty correct.)
The instructions are simple:
- Melt the bacon fat in the bottom of a pot
- Set the burner to high and add ground beef, black pepper, and some salt (add to taste later)
- Let it cook on high while you deal with cutting the vegetables and bacon, stirring occasionally
- Dice the bacon and toss in the pot
- Cut the peppers and toss in the and give it a stir
- Toss in the can of chilis and tomatoes
- Add the remaining spices. I tend to go heavy on the chili powder and grind the cumin in a mortar and pestle – what a great fragrance
- Add salt and pepper, but remember that there’s a lot of salt in the bacon so don’t overdo it.
Now set it to a low simmer and let cook for 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
The verdict: very enjoyable. As I am attempting to cut back on dairy I’ll skip the cheeses and sour cream – but you’re free to use it if you like.
Low Carb Confidential 
Thank you! I’m having this for supper, and as Lawrence Welk said, “Wunnerful, wunnerful!”
I made one change: I used fresh bacon rather than precooked. This also provided the bacon grease to fry up the ground beef … and I was surprised how long it takes to bake a pound of bacon in the oven. So it isn’t full-on crispy, but it suits me just fine. And the result is delicious!
It’s a very nice contrast from the plain “Atkins Induction” fare I’ve been eating, the past two weeks.
Glad you liked it. As we’re living through a re-emerging interest in low carb diets – the kids call it ‘keto’ now – the number of great recipes is endless.