I usually make this quick chili recipe when I really need  comfort food after a long day at work or on a cold day. I’ve also made this for events like the Superbowl and it was a huge hit at our house. A big pot of chili can last for days and it saves well. This is also a great dish to add to your cooking repertoire because it looks and taste like you spend all day slaving over it, but it actually very basic and takes minimal time and effort. I never measure out ingredients for recipes like this but instead put in enough of each to suite my tastes. I’ve made several variations on this recipe depending on what we have and it’s extremely versatile. Other than ground meat or bell peppers, the ingredients are canned, so you can stock up on the basics and have it any time.

Step 1: Prep you ingredients.

• Dice the onions
• Dice bell pepper to add a nice flavor if you wish [optional]
• Mince some garlic
• Gather some spices (we used cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and any spices you have on hand)
• Gather canned goods: crushed tomatoes, red pinto beans, tomato juice (we used ZingZang bloody mary mix to give an extra kick)

Step 2: sweat your veggies

Heat a large sauce pot (or pan) with some olive oil and toss in your onions and cook them until translucent, then toss in the garlic towards the end so it doesn’t burn.

Step 3: Meat Time!

Add a half pound to a pound of ground meat to the pot (depending on how many servings you want, I usually do a pound per large can o’ tomatoes). Throw the spices on top.

Stir and brown the meat until it looks slightly rare.

Step 4: Add your tomatos

Add canned crushed tomatoes and canned tomato sauce until soupy. Then let it simmer on low-medium heat until thickened, about 45 minutes. Give it a stir and wait for the magic to happen, stirring occasionally.

After the first r15 minutes, add your canned beans and peppers. Then let simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until it reaches a consistency you like. Tasting throughout.

Traditional optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese or raw onions.

Recipe:

• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 cloves (4-5 if you like garlic like me)
• a pound or pound and half of ground beef
• 14 ounces ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• cup of zingzang or tomato sauce
• heaping table spoons of cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, or whatever spices you have on hand (I like to add fennel seeds)
• can of beans (I used red pinto)
• 1 bell pepper diced [optional]