It’s the start of chili season – and like Mary Poppins, it’s practically perfect in every way. Easy to double batch, freeze, reheat, serve for lunch or dinner, make meat-free (or with any meat of your choice), use for entertaining, or cook for an easy one-dish dinner.
Chili is usually defined as a combination of beans and meat, but it can be loaded with vegetables or only beans and vegetables. There are so many ways to vary chili that you could make it one of your weekly meals and have a new version each week. Savory and filling, chili can be used in multiple ways.
Chili 5 Ways:
- Over a baked potato with cheese and broccoli.
- With scrambled eggs and tortillas for a hearty breakfast.
- Over pasta, rice, or quinoa.
- In a tortilla with cheese to make a burrito.
- In a bowl with all the toppings: shredded cheese, chopped onions, tortilla chips, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, diced bell pepper, cilantro, diced avocados, sour cream.
3 Fantastic Chili Recipes:
Pork, Beef, and Black Bean Chili from Bon Appétit November 2002
This delicious chili is from The Parker Ranch Grill in Kamuela, Hawaii. Reduce or increase the chili powder and cumin to taste for your family. As with most recipes, you can make substitutions as needed (canned tomatoes for the fresh, red and green bell peppers instead of all red, black and kidney beans instead of all black). Use what you have in your pantry, and/or what your family enjoys most. Ask the butcher to cut the steak into cubes to save time and effort.
White Chili III from allrecipes.com
This is a turkey and white bean chili. It has a savory flavor thanks to cumin (which most children like, as it is the predominant flavor in catsup). From Sharon’s kitchen: It calls for 4 cups chopped turkey meat, so I usually buy turkey thighs and roast them with olive oil and salt at 375 degrees until cooked, about 45 minutes.
Vegetable Chili from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
You would never guess that there isn’t meat in this thick and satisfying chili. It’s delicious as soon as it is done cooking, but the flavor improves over time, making it a great dish to freeze, or for leftovers. The ingredient list is long, but other than prepping the vegetables, which can be done ahead of time, it easy to make and well worth the effort. There are a few spices that you may not have in your pantry – buy a small container and try them out.