The “Cowboy” Grocery I’ve Been Buying Every Fall for 12 Years Straight
Before I met my husband, Brad, I had chili every now and then — maybe once or twice a year, three times at most. We started dating 12 years ago (and eventually marrying in 2021), and ever since chili has become a staple in our fall and winter dinners — specifically Six Gun Chili Mixin’s. It was a favorite of Brad’s for years before we met, and now it’s one of mine too.
What’s So Great About Six Gun Chili Mixin’s?
Consider Six Gun a really good starter kit. Inside the bag, you’ll find four pouches: two large brown packets that contain spices like cumin, dehydrated onion, garlic powder, oregano, a pinch of salt, and ground chili pepper, plus a smaller red packet of cayenne pepper and a white pack with ground masa flour.
I am often sensitive to spice, so I was skeptical of a chili mix that comes with a bag’s worth of cayenne, but as Brad pointed out, we could choose how much (or how little!) to add to our chili. Funnily enough, we end up using the whole thing (more on that below).
Six Gun Chili Mix 4 Oz, 6 Pack
Amazon
$28.42
We used to buy single bags of Six Gun Chili at a nearby grocery store when we lived in Maryland. We’ve since moved, and can now only find it online. It’s currently sold in bulk packs of six for $28.42 on Amazon, or a little under $6 per bag. It may seem like a lot of chili, but we’ve found it’s the exact right amount to last us through fall and winter.
What’s the Best Way to Use Six Gun Chili Mixin’s?
As I mentioned, Six Gun Chili Mixin’s is very much a choose-your-own (chili) adventure. We typically use two pounds of ground turkey, two large (30-ounce) cans of tomato sauce (in place of the diced tomatoes the package suggests), two cans of red kidney beans, and the spices in the bag. We add the two large brown packets to the cooked meat and tomatoes, according to the package instructions and actually omit the flour — when simmered in a slow cooker on low for five or six hours, the chili thickens naturally on its own. Personally, I prefer to use about half of the small, red pepper pouch, and Brad will happily dump the rest in the slow cooker after I take out my share.
Our favorite way to eat the chili is with some warmed cornbread or a homemade Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit. I recently found out I’m gluten-intolerant, so I love that the chili mix is gluten-free (and Red Lobster makes a gluten-free version of its biscuit mix, too!). There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of chili with some shredded cheddar on top, a warm biscuit on the side, and our favorite football team on the TV. Ah, fall.
Buy: Six Gun Chili Mixin’s, $28.42 for 6 packs at Amazon
What’s your not-so-secret ingredient for the best chili? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Further Reading
Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
