Vegan Original Tommy's Dupe! (aka Chili Sauce)

Growing up in Southern California, just outside of LA in Long Beach, the Original Tommy's Chili Fries, Hot Dogs, and Burgers have always been a late-night favorite. The almost pasty chili always hit the spot after a night of shenanigans. 

I have tried to make a vegan dupe of this iconic chili for over a decade, and I finally think I nailed it! I made this one inspired by a bunch of different copycat recipes found online, and obviously made it vegan, and simplified it as much as possible to utilize ingredients most folks can find at any grocery store. 

This is a slow cooker recipe, so you can just throw it all in and not worry about it all day (or overnight). When serving, and it can't be said enough, you MUST use a slice of yellow vegan cheese, not shreds. I found that the Daiya American-style slices worked best for this as they melt easily and give the perfect amount of slick, slimy goodness under the chili. 

Vegan Chili Sauce

Yield: About 8 cups

6 cups water, divided

8 cloves garlic

3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

1 cup diced carrot (about 1 medium carrot)

1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar

5 tablespoons medium-heat chili powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 heaping tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

24 ounces vegan ground beef (I used Impossible brand for this batch.)

1/2 cup masa harina (I used Maseca brand)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (If you want to make this gluten-free, simply replace the flour with more masa harina)

To the crock of your slow cooker, add in 4 cups of the water and all the other ingredients, except the remaining 2 cups water, flour, and masa harina.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours, returning after about an hour to break up the ground beef into tiny pieces.

After chili has cooked for 8 (or 4 hours), in a bowl, whisk together remaining 2 cups water, masa harina, and flour.

Remove the lid and stir in the mixture until well combined. Cover and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes.

Enjoy!