Monday Recipe - Chili plus leftovers!

Last week, the weather was gray, rainy, and only about 50 F (10 C). DH and I decided it was perfect chili weather to warm us up.

DH gets frustrated with me sometimes when I cook, because I never follow a recipe. If I "use" a recipe, I usually see it as a "guideline" and just do my own thing. This chili recipe is like that. He begged me to write it down so he can make it sometime, so here is my best attempt to document my chili recipe. This recipe is great for mommies or busy people, because it is forgiving in cooking times (1.5hr - 3hr on simmer, doesn't make a difference), and you don't have to babysit it (stir it every 1/2 hour).

Quick Chili

Ingredients:
1 onion
2ish TBS of olive oil
1lb-1.5lb meat (ground beef, stew beef, whatever looks good)
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 cans of beans (kidney, mixed beans, etc)
1/2 can of water (or use beef stock, I was being lazy)
2 small sweet potatoes
1/2 red pepper (it was in the fridge, and needed to be used)
chili powder
cumin powder

Start with a big soup pot with a lid. Saute onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add meat, and brown until no pink is left. Add tomatoes and water. Add chopped sweet potatoes and red pepper. Add chili powder and cumin to your taste. Remember you can always add spice, but it is hard to remove from soup! : )

Let simmer, covered, for 1.5 hours or until potatoes are cooked. Rinse and drain beans, and add to the pot. Let it cook 5 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, and Jiffy cornbread.

This is a great recipe to use up veggies you have. Add in zucchini or corn, for example.

There were probably 5-6 servings of chili from this recipe. You can also use leftovers on tortilla chips for nachos.

Wednesday will be a Wesley Update!