Monday's Supper Recipe - CHILI

Sometime around the end of this month or first bit of February we are expecting a phone call that a side of local beef is ready for us to have prepared for our freezer. In the mean time we are busy trying to make room for it! The only beef we have left is ground beef.  I am not the biggest fan of ground beef so when it came to grabbing something quickly for supper I would avoid it. Now, with my meal planning, it's included in the month so there's no avoiding it. It's in the fridge thawed and ready to use.  Case in point is today's meal, Chili. Here's the recipe:



Chili
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 540ml can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 680ml can tomato sauce
1 398ml can tomato sauce
1 156ml can tomato paste
1 tbsp Epicure chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Epicure smoked paprika
1 tsp Epicure cinco pepper blend

Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium heat, until meat crumbles and is no longer pink.  Drain if necessary, our beef is so lean there is no need to drain.  Add all other ingredients to the pot of cooked ground beef.  Stir to combine well.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 3 hours or until thickened.

Serve with some fresh baked rolls or tea biscuits.  We're also having garlic bread with ours to keep "the boys" happy.

Here's a secret....I hadn't had lunch yet when I was browning the ground beef and onions, it smelled so good I couldn't resist grabbing a sub bun left over from last nights supper and I made myself a yummy loose hamburger "sandwich".  YUM!  That bit of hamburger won't be missed.  ;)

I used to make Chili a lot, my late husband loved it.  For the past 6 years I avoided making it because the males of the house today don't eat veggies.  You will notice my recipe doesn't include many fresh veggies.  Only fresh onion and garlic.  I'm fine with that.  If I wanted I could hide some veggies in the tomato sauce.  For now I am happy everyone is eating my recipe as it is.  You can add any fresh veggies you wish, this recipe is an excellent base.  You could add mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes - YUM!

I am so happy meal planning is bringing me back to those meals I used to love to cook.  It's getting me out of the rut I was in, cooking the same thing too often.  We craved take-out because the menu was more interesting than what I was cooking. My friends always comment on what a good cook I am, these past few years I didn't feel I was deserving of a "good cook" title. But today the house smells of delicious simmering Chili.  My Son is enjoying stirring it and says it smells "deliciouso" a.k.a. "delicious".  As I mentioned Friday, cooking at home is so much more rewarding than ordering take out!  More rewarding for everyone in the house in so many ways.  It's an experience for me and my Son to cook together, though I am trying hard not to be the control freak I normally am in the kitchen.  It's healthier for our family, better food and more variety.  I do hope I'm inspiring you to cook at home more too! Maybe jogging your memory of recipes or meals you've forgotten.  Or giving you the encouragement to try something new......

Happy Cooking Everyone!