Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Meal Idea: Chili


 I don't know about you, but once October rolls around, I start craving all things fall in the kitchen... including lots and lots of chili!  I think we all probably have our favorite ways of making chili.  There are so many variations, and so many things you can add or take away.  I've been making this variation for a few years now and it still remains our favorite.  :-)  

 

 This recipe uses your typical chili spices, although lately I've been substituting ground chipotle for chili powder.  Either way it's delicious!  I think chili is probably one of the easiest meals to put together, and usually something that everybody loves.  Even my husband, who isn't a big fan of soup (so disappointing, I gotta tell you ;-) ), loves chili!  And our girls gobble this up so quickly, although I do go a little lighter on the spice because of them.


 This year I have two nights a week that require complete meal prep, as we arrive home right at dinner time with everyone hungry.  So I've been using my crock pot a ton!  I love making chili, because when I'm struggling to get everything done before we get out the door, I can always throw this chili together quickly in the crock pot.  You can also just simmer this on the stovetop though, if that works better for you, which I do a lot during the weekend.  And leftover chili?  It only gets better!

I typically bake a big skillet of cornbread too and have some type of veggie on the side.


 Chili Recipe

 2 pounds ground beef
3 ounces tomato paste (or half of a 6 ounce can)
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (including juice)
2 cups water
2 teaspoons oregano
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1-2 Tbsp chili powder or 1/2-1 Tbsp ground chipotle powder (I go on the light side because of my little girls - feel free to add more/less depending on your taste)
1 tsp salt

Place the ground beef in a skillet (I like to cook my ground beef in a cast iron skillet), season lightly with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until done.  Drain off excess fat and place the cooked ground beef in a pot or slow cooker crockpot.  Add the tomato paste, diced tomatos, water, oregano, cumin, chili powder or chipotle powder, and 1 tsp salt.  Stir together, cover, lower temperature, and simmer for at least 1 hour on the stovetop or cook on low in the crockpot for several hours.

Optional Add-In: Pinto beans are an obvious great choice!  You can so easily throw in a can of beans with everything else, but drain and rinse them first.

Toppings: Nothing makes this better than freshly grated monterey jack cheese and a big glob of sour cream!



16 comments:

  1. My family loves Chili, especially in the fall with some warm cornbread drizzled with honey. We are making our second trip to the pumpkin farm tomorrow (my teenage daughter missed the first trip) and this will be perfect, warming in the crockpot for when we return. Thanks for all of your recipes, I have enjoyed them all! P.S. The new Pioneer Woman cookbook "Dinnertime" came out today, mine is on the way from Amazon ;) Deni

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    1. Hope you enjoy, Deni! We haven't made a trip to the pumpkin patch yet... the girls have been asking me. ;-) P.S. Mine arrived this afternoon at my door... I pre-ordered. LOL!

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  2. This is one of my hubby's favorites...and he would eat it year round.
    I thought one of the funniest things is that everywhere you go in Wisconsin they serve chili with noodles if you want them...spaghetti pasta! I still think that is weird. lol xo Dana

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    1. That is funny! I wonder if it has the same spices!

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  3. Looks like an awesome recipe... we are chili lovers here in Kentucky... we serve our chili with a grilled cheese and cheese on top and sour cream.. Yummy... Enjoy this fall season...

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  4. I love chili too, particularly this time of year. My favorite recipe is Giada's California Turkey Chili- such complex yet delicious flavors. Your recipes are a huge hit in our home- especially the biscuits, slow-cooked chicken, chicken dumplings, and taco salad, hope you continue to post more!

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    1. I'll definitely have to look that recipe up, sounds delicious. So glad you enjoy the recipes! I'll try to post more... I actually took photos of one of my favorite recipes recently to share, and then deleted the pictures before I downloaded them onto my computer. Oops!

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  5. Sounds wonderful...haven't had our first chili of the season yet but thinkin it'll be soon. I start craving it about now..that and pumpkin pie!!

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    1. Yes, I haven't made a pumpkin pie yet, but I've been craving one too!

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  6. Looks delicious and different from my recipe! I'll have to try it!

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  7. Looks yummy and I bet it tastes and smells the same.

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  8. I just want to tell you how much I love and look forward to your blog posts. I have had a very long, stressful day at work, and I got on really quickly to see if you had posted. I was so excited that you had! Your blog is calming and relaxing, and I am thankful to you for sharing it with us all.

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  9. Looks wonderful, Chili is our favorite through out winter. Ill have to get it a try. Thank you for sharing.

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  10. Gotta try this awesome recipe! Looks so yummy. Thanks for sharing!

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