Chili Recipe

I don't consider myself a master cook in any way, but I am going to post some of our family's staple recipes here. New experiments come and go, but there are a few things we always eat every month of the year. They are easy and affordable. I love new recipes and have found so many on people's blogs. So I hope I can pay it forward!


The first, is my chili recipe. It's not super special, just a great combination of ingredients. I've tried a lot of different recipes and this one's not too beany, not too tomato-y.. just simple and yummy chili. It's usually dark when we eat (winter time!) so I have no picture. Let's face it, dinner time is way too chaotic to be taking photographs! :)


Chili...


1lb. ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans
1/2 c. diced onion
1/4 c. diced celery
2 med. tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 c. water


Brown meat and saute onion. Drain if necessary, then dump in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or so... I always serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips and if I feel ambitious, my mom's cornbread recipe.


Variations: I sometimes add a can of corn or a cup or two of sweet frozen corn. Sometimes I'll use black beans instead of one of the other kinds of beans. If I don't have fresh tomatoes I just use a can of diced. If I don't have tomato sauce I just use a tablespoon or two or tomato paste and add a little extra liquid. I find that no matter how much liquid I start out with, by the time I simmer for an hour or so it's the perfect consistency. There's no set cook time, just whenever Jake gets home, we eat. Sometimes I only use 1/2 pound of ground beef. I like it spicy, so I add extra chili powder to taste.