Mom’s Chili (meatless options)

Beans, tomatoes and ground beef, wrapped together with peppers, onions and the perfect amount of seasoning make this chili great.

Chili is a personal Food

I’ve discovered over the years that chili is a very personal food. We had a chili competition in our neighborhood one year and I was chatting with a neighbor.

She said she couldn’t make chili anymore at her house because she grew up with celery in her chili and that’s how she loves it and her husband hates it with celery. In order to avoid the conflict, she just stopped making chili.

Another lady at that same gathering said she had never eaten chili with beans in it. Her mom’s recipe was just lots of ground beef with a seasoned tomato sauce.

Make it Work For You

Today’s recipe is my mom’s. It is my favorite, perhaps because it brings back memories and is what I am used to but personally, I think its my favorite because it tastes so delicious.

It comes together quickly, especially if I have precooked hamburger in my freezer. I love to cook up several pounds of hamburger, let it cool and then portion it into ½ pound amounts and freeze it. I freeze it flat and it defrosts quickly for meals.

We love the bell peppers but if you hate them or need to replace them with say, celery, I totally understand.

Beans? Meat? Spices?

The beans are adaptable. My mom actually used all kidney beans but over the years I have discovered that I prefer the variety of size and texture with the addition of the black beans. Again, do what you love. If you love pinto beans, use them! Small red beans? Awesome!

This recipe can also be made meatless. In place of the ground beef, add another can of beans or 1-1½ cups of cooked quinoa.

Different brands of chili powder vary in their strength and heat so pick a chili powder that you like. I put a range in the recipe of two to three tablespoons because it really is based on preference. We like it with almost the full three tablespoons.

Mom’s Chili

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1-14 oz can tomato sauce

3-14 oz cans kidney beans, drained

2-14 oz cans black beans, drained

2-3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Heat a large pot to medium heat. Place ground beef in pot. Break it up and begin to brown the meat. When it is about half browned, add the diced onion and bell pepper.

When all the meat is browned and the onions and peppers are soft, add the tomatoes, sauce and beans.

Add desired amount of chili powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes until the flavors are melded together.

Serve warm. We love it with crackers or chips. Leftovers are awesome for lunch the next day.

Tweak It Notes

• MEATLESS – You can easily add 1 more can of beans in place of the ground beef or 1-1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa.