Here it Michigan, April is usually a month filled with rain showers. This year, however, was a little special. Along with the rain we also got snow. Looking outside at the melting carpets of white on the trees, I can’t help but crave a winter staple – chili.
Due to the special times we are in now, our family seldom goes such. As such, we were lacking in many ingredients, namely the spices and tomato paste. Thus, I decided to try making Chili by replacing some ingredients. The result was a delicious, simple, and healthy recipe.
Homemade Chili
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 lbs of ground beef (you can use less if you want)
- 4 medium tomatoes diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 20 oz of kidney beans
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 2 carrots cut into rounds
- 2 cups of water
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 tablespoons of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- salt and pepper to season
- peppers (very optional, especially if you can’t eat spicy like me)
Estimated time – 3.5 hours (a lot of it is just letting the chili simmer on the stove)
Step-by-Step:
- Prepare all your ingredients (washing , chopping etc)
- In a large pot, add in the oil when pot is hot.
- Add in garlic and onion to the pot. Cook until the onion has been softened.
- Next, add in the 2 lbs of ground beef and chili powder and cook until browned.
- Pour out the oil that has been cooked out from the beef. If you think this is too much of a hassle, you can skip this step. It just results in a less viscous consistency.
- Add in the beans, tomatoes, carrots, and celery. Keep in mind that if your pot ends up being too small, add the beans and tomatoes to the pot first since beans take the longest time to cook if your not buying canned beans. That especially the case if your beans have not soaked long enough. Once the tomatoes cook down, you’ll have more room to add in carrots and celery, both of which shrink a lot when cooked.
- Bring ingredients to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are soft.
- Top with things you enjoy like sour cream and cheddar cheese or simply enjoy as is.
- Enjoy!
Now in the mornings, when I’m craving something heartier, all I need to do is heat up a bowl of chili. The mYeBEAT team is happy to keep you up-to-date, entertained, enriched, and safe! Check in on us every week for new content – see you soon!
