Thursday: Canned Chili

Let's make some Canned Chili!  I call the recipe "canned" for obvious reasons.  So, first, let's establish what this recipe is NOT:  this chili is not made with wholesome, fresh tomatoes from my garden or beans that I soaked and prepared myself.  But let's get past all of that for a minute and look at what this recipe IS:  easy, fast, cheap, and delicious!  So, while I wouldn't want to feed my family with mass-produced, commercially canned vegetables every day of the week, it's not going to hurt us tremendously to take this shortcut now and then.

First, brown your 2 lbs. of ground beef or so.  I used 2.25 lbs. of extra lean ground beef.

Then, to the Pot go the following:
browned beef (with fat drained off)
Williams chili seasoning packet (I actually used the packet designed for 4 lbs. of beef because we like it extra bold but not necessarily too hot.  This seems to achieve the desired result.  It's a bold flavor but not too spicy for the kids.  And, yes, it must by Williams -- none of this McCormick nonsense. :)
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
can of diced tomatoes with chopped green chilies
can of chili beans  (I actually used off-brand for all of the canned goods)

I just let it cook in the Pot all day on low, allowing the flavors meld. 

Cost analysis?  This pot made enough for me to freeze a bag for another dinner later on.  Also, Fritos were on sale this week at the grocery store, and we don't use shredded cheese, sour cream, or any other additions, so this is a super cheap meal for us.  This meal came out to $8.15 or $1.63 per person. 


How did it go over?  Um.  To say that my kids love chili is a bit of an understatement.  I served them first.  By the time, I got my bowl to the table, the kids were lining back up for more.  :)