My Chili – pleases the tummy and wallet

I thank God for my husband every day. He is wonderful in many many ways, but some days it’s his low-maintenance that tops the charts. I have a simple chili recipe my Mom put into a hand-written, keepsake-quality recipe book several years ago that I tweaked to make my own and he LOVES it. The man cooks in a high-end chain restaurant with the dream of going to culinary school and breaking into fine dining, yet this sinfully simple, easy to make with inexpensive ingredients recipe makes him happy every time I make it. Like, not just happy, he’s excited when he notices what meat I have thawing, sincerely compliments it every time, and wakes up looking forward to leftover chili for breakfast!

With the myriad of recipes on the internet, I am not even trying to break into the cooking world (unless I tackle the “eat for cheap and feel like an adult” niche). I’m just inspired to share this today because I made it last night and the weather’s getting to where I’ll want to make it more often.

Before I startle anyone’s regional chili sensibilities, I’m from Northern Illinois, and beans go in chili.

Basic Ingredients:

1. 1lb ground turkey, 1lb ground Italian Sausage – brown together and drain.
2. 2 cans red kidney beans
   • For visual interest I do one can light red, one can dark red, and drain a big plop of water out of each can, I like my spoon to stand up in my chili
3. 1 can diced tomatoes
   • Ones labeled “Chili ready tomatoes” are diced smaller and preferred in my house
4. 2 average-sized jalapeno peppers, diced
   • Scrape seeds out unless you really like that added heat
5. Diced onions to taste – Mom said 2 small ones, that was always too many for me
   • Walmart’s “Great Value Seasoning Blend” is 10oz frozen veggies – 90% onions – so I use this and add visually 1/4-1/3 cup diced fresh onion (never actually measured)
6. Diced bell peppers to taste
   • I do 1/2 a really big green one or the visual equivalent in colorful peppers
7. 1 Tbs each: Chili powder, Cumin, Oregano, Worcestershire Sauce, and Minced garlic from jar
   • Conversions claim a tablespoon is equal to 2 fresh garlic cloves (Mom’s recipe) – I heap that tablespoon – love me some garlic!
8. 1 tsp ground black pepper
9. Simmer on medium-low to heat through and blend flavors. Stir occasionally.

Experienced variances:

I’ve subbed Italian Seasoning blend for the oregano before and it creates a “can’t quite put my finger on it” difference. I’ve also used a pre-seasoned taco ground turkey in place of Italian sausage before and cut the chili powder, cumin, and oregano down to a tsp each. It undeniably tasted like a taco relative, but was still good! I’ve tossed in leftover sloppy joe and taco meat (separate occasions) from a previous night just to use them up, and they blend in well. When I had a roommates I’d feel obligated to offer food to, I’d even toss in a can of grocery store chili to stretch it a bit farther without the added hassle or cost of more dicing and more meat.

It’s not a super hot recipe, but making it without jalapenos once was noticeably mild and I don’t want to forget to buy them ever again. I’ve tried to meal prep by mass dicing and freezing veggies for future use, but fact of the matter is, I almost always have fresh onions and peppers, and it’s really not that hard to cut them up fresh – I do greatly appreciate the frozen mostly onion mix though. I really dislike dicing onions.

With my toddler’s interest in cooking, I let her stir the veggies and seasoning over a cold burner next to me while I brown the meat. It’s stressful to have her so close to the heat, but I narrate the whole time, “See that’s called steam, that means it’s very hot. Don’t touch the pan, ouchie. Stir, stir, stir, mix your pot, good job!” etcetera… and she’s so pleased with herself for being included, that extra stress on my part and inability to multi-task while browning because I have to stay put is worth it. When I do have to kick her off the stove, she’s usually satisfied that she’s helped and ready to move back to her toys. Letting her “help” is the biggest time suck. When she doesn’t, it really is quick to throw together.

I’m lazy, so this does make more dishes than I like, especially if I add grilled cheese, but while it’s simmering, I try to knock out a few so after the meal doesn’t seem so bad. Grilled cheese made with the cut-off-a-brick melty cheese is so ooey-gooey wonderful with chili, and it helps it stretch into the next day to feed both of us again. If I have hamburger or hot dog buns threatening to go stale I’ll turn them into garlic bread. Was your house a “butter bread” house growing up? Both me from Illinois and hubby from Virginia grew up with parents that used “butter bread” (literally just cold sandwich bread with margarine on it) as a side dish. If I’m feeling adultish-attempting-healthier-choices, I add a side of fruit.

Deedee isn’t super into chili yet – she’s sporadically stolen cold bites from my bowl while I’m taking a break to decide if I need a refill, but if I give her her own portion she doesn’t want it.

I’d have to do some serious math to get the true cost of this recipe, but I’m willing to bet less than $10 as written to happily, comfortably fill up me and the husband for one night, and without adding a side, feed at least him one more full meal the next day.

I love chili because it is endlessly customizable and oh so satisfying… and it really helps that my hard working, wanna be professional chef of a husband appreciates it! ❤