Those who know me know that I love food and have a very discerning tongue. Becoming a mom forced my love of cooking from scratch into accepting the reality of needing quick recipes that not only I will love, but that will be craved favorites of the family, and fast to prepare.
In the hopes to help others, I present to you, my Easy Assemble Chili recipe:
- 1-pound ground lean beef (sirloin is great but anything 90/10 or leaner will work)
- 1/2 pound sirloin steak, diced into 1/4″ to 1/8″ cubes or stew meat, cubed to same dimensions
- 1 large (30.5 oz) can or 2 regular (15 oz) cans Brooks or Bush’s brand seasoned chili beans, your preference (regular, mild or hot)
- 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans or navy beans or black beans; your preference
- 1 can (15 oz) Cannellini Beans or red Kidney Beans
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, seasoned if you desire
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, diced as you like (I prefer a very small dice)
- 2 tsp mined garlic
- salt, pepper, cumin (ground)
- fresh cilantro, approximately 1/2 cup rough chopped
- 2 large or 3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced (remove seeds first, then dice into 1/4″ pieces)
- 2 cups Beef, chicken or vegetable stock, your preference
In a 9-quart or greater dutch oven/stock pot on medium high heat, brown the cubed meat with the diced onion, 1 tsp garlic; pinch of cumin, salt & pepper to taste. Add the ground meat and brown with the 2nd tsp garlic plus a dash of cumin, salt & pepper. Drain any fat off the browned meat. Return pan to the stove and add 2 cups of stock, simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
Add seasoned chili beans directly to the meat. Rinse and drain the remaining beans and add to the pot. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add fresh tomatoes and cilantro and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Garnish as desired. Our favorites include shredded monterey jack cheese, jalapenos, fresh finely chopped red onion, sour cream, more fresh tomato & cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Meat substitutes and poultry can be substituted very easily for the beef and are just as delicious. Another favorite in our house uses ground turkey instead of the ground beef and cubed turkey breast instead of steak. I use chicken or vegetable stock when I make this substitution.
Hope this simple and fast recipe becomes a favorite in your home too. Enjoy!
