I am not much of a cook. I can bake, and I love to bake, but cooking is a whole other beast. One that I really don’t like to tackle. I’ve never been quite sure why, but it has just never resonated with me. It has always felt more like a chore than anything else. Yet, part of being an adult is having to cook (or spend a fortune on take-out which I refuse to do).
Summers are easier; you can throw some sort of protein on the grill and serve it with salad or fresh veggies. It is the falls and winters that fill me with dread. Over the years, I have experimented with numerous things, most of them pretty simple. I am a huge fan of crockpots or one-pan recipes that require minimal prep and cleanup.
One recipe though, that I have started having a lot of fun with is chili. The first time I made it, it was because it sounded quick, easy, and like something I couldn’t mess up. It was all of those things, but it was tasty as well. I was pleasantly surprised. I started wondering if there were ways to make it better.
I have tried a lot of variations in the past few years and have even tried throwing in some crazy combinations. But the version that has held strong is the one that I will share with you now. Please note that it is a large recipe because I love having the leftovers or even freezing some once it is made.
Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large white onion
1 large green pepper
2 fresh jalapenos
1 fresh habanero pepper
40 oz can of light red kidney beans
7 cups of fresh or previously frozen diced tomatoes (OR 28 oz can crushed tomatoes AND 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet.
Dice the onion, green pepper, jalapenos, and habanero.
In a crockpot, add tomatoes, ground beef, diced vegetables and all of the spices.
Cook on low for 6-10 hours.
Serve!
I love to add shredded cheese to the top of my chili and have a side of cornbread. Whatever you make it with, it will definitely warm you up on a chilly evening!
Do you have a go-to recipe? I would love to hear about it!
