Simple Chili

by madaise on Nov 11, 2008

Chili is so simple to make, a few basic ingredients and before long a big pot full to eat on for a couple days.  We eat chili plain, with spaghetti, over fritos with cheese on top (and sometimes sour cream), with crackers or bread and butter, topped on hotdogs and probably more ways I’m forgetting.

Here’s how I make a simple recipe that suits my whole (picky) family.

2 lbs ground beef
2 cans chili beans (we prefer mild)
2 cans tomato sauce
1-2 TBS Chili powder
1-2 cans water (after cans are open) maybe more, depending on your preference

Brown ground beef in a soup pot (I use my multi-purpose 6 quart pot).  When the beef has been browned, you may need to drain a bit of the fat and juice off.  If you want to leave it in, go ahead - my husband says it gives it more flavor! I like to add the chili powder as soon as the beef is done browning - after I drain it (unless I don’t drain at all).

Once the beef has been browned, add the beans and sauce.  Stir it up.

Add the water slowly so you don’t add too much.  It’s always easy to add a bit more… to get the consistency you like in your chili.

Let it cook so the flavors blend.  Once it’s hot throughout, eat it up.

With chili, there are many ingredients you can add to it… my recipe is super simple because of my family.  But many chili’s have onions and/or peppers.  I use to use lentil beans instead of ground beef.  Or try a package of mixed beans - cooked to package directions.

Chili is another yummmy soup for cold weather.  Enjoy!

Simple - Beans & Weenies

by madaise on Jul 23, 2008

My daughter came home this morning with 2 cans of baked beans and a package of hot dogs.  She’s been wanting Beans & Weenies for a week and finally got the makings for it.  But she still wasn’t sure what to do.

Beans and Weenies are so easy to make and really are yummmy too!

She bought 2 medium sized cans of baked beans - whatever flavor is good for your buds (taste buds, of course!).  We usually get beef franks of some sort, but again.. whatever kind you want, or whatever fits your budget.

Dump your cans of beans into a pot and turn the heat on medium or so… keep and eye on it.  Slice your hotdogs into ‘wagon wheels’ and toss those in to the beans.  Give a good stir.  Add a generous squirt of ketchup and a couple table spoons of brown sugar.  Keep and eye on it, stirring often so it doesn’t scortch the beans.  Remember, it’s all already cooked, so really you are just heating it up to make it really tasty.

Serve with some buttered slices of bread.  Yummmy, cheap and easy.