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I'm having dinner for my family at my house Christmas Eve and everyone wants chili. Does anyone have a good recipe that makes quite a bit, is fairly easy to make and a little spicy but not REAL spicy? TIA!

There are a gazillion ways to make chili , and it is based on one's own personal preferences.

I think that if you start with ground meat, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans....and then add your choice of seasonings, you can't really go wrong!

Gypsy Dancer, My Mom and I used to spend nearly a week every Fall soaking beans, making home-made tomato sauce from tomatoes we grew ourselves, assembling the other spices and getting the ground beef ready (from cattle which we raised ourselves) and then hours at the local cannery (no longer exists) where we "put up" enough cans to last our whole family until the next year.

Then, as an adult, I discovered Nalley's Original Chili with Carne (meat) and, much to my surprise, it tasted nearly identical to ours!

So I would buy 8-10 of Nalley's large cans, open them, put the contents in a large pot and hide the cans in the trash! Have on hand two or three different types of hot sauces from mild to hot so everyone can adjust the "heat" to their own taste (I like Nalley's just as it is while DH likes to add lots of sauce) and then just smile when everyone compliments you!

You'll have a stress-free day anticipating the evening to come while getting the house ready and, maybe, making some corn bread, green salads and dessert. You might also prepare some sliced black olives, chopped fresh onions and grated cheddar cheese to offer in bowls on the side. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

PS. You can confess it was Nalley's AFTER everyone tells you how great dinner was!

Oh NO! Not beans!

Brown one pound of ground beef (chili meat generally has too much gristle to suit me)...or finely chop a sirloin steak.
Anyway, brown that meat with one finely chopped onion and a couple of minced garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons of chili powder (I use Penzey's found at www.penzeys.com)
a couple of teaspoons of cumin
2-3 tablespoons flour

Stir the dry ingredients into the meat/onion mixture.

Immediately pour in one can of diced tomatoes. Add a couple of cans of water. Stir. Cook on low until good. Be sure to check your seasonings. If you like it thick, cook until some of the liquid has evaporated. If you like it thinner...add more water.

Serve with a slice of homemade cornbread, some grated cheese and diced onion.

Yup, another one of those regional things. To me, it wouldn't be chili without the beans. Otherwise, it'd just be meat sauce.

Thanks so much to all of you for your responses! IR, I've never heard of that brand, I'll have to check and see if we have that here. Will definitely put out onions, cheese and olives. KYIS, that sounds like a delicious recipe, but I have to confess I would have to add beans to it, lol! I really don't think we have Nalley's brand here, but thanks IR! I just may try it if I do find the brand here, or I'll try KYIS, with a few beans added! Thanks again to all of you! Oh, and will for sure have corn bread and dessert!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GypsyDancer52,

Oh goodness - it's so easy to make a quick and delicious chili. I brown ground turkey meat with chopped onions - then begin adding seasoned diced tomatoes - with chili seasoning - tomato puree - beef broth - and lots of different kinds of canned beans. My favorite beans are pinto beans - and you can find them in a seasoned sauce - add kidney beans as well if you like them. Add lots of chili powder, cumin if you like, salt & lots of black pepper - to taste - cook until it's all nicely melded - and to a consistency you enjoy. I've made various versions of this recipe for years & years . . .
Also, I add red pepper flakes - to taste . . .

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Seaborne,

Sigh...okay, you have my permission to add beans to my recipe...as long as you don't make it in Texas. Although there are some poor misguided folks in Texas with foreign roots (across the state line) who add beans to their chili. But to me...that's just spicy bean soup.

And yes, pinto beans at least keep it 'home on the range'...

But ground turkey...ummm... nah. I've cooked with ground poultry before when trying to get first DH healthier. Good and hot and just cooked it tastes good. Leftover...it tastes like leftover poultry. Other than chicken salad I'm not fond of leftover poultry. Back then the hounds got several leftover dishes.

I just purchase leaner ground beef with less fat. Beside, if you purchase preground poultry it has skin and fat ground up in it and sometimes the fat content can be higher than leaner ground beef. (Not talking about the leanest beef...that stuff has so little fat in it that it has no flavor.)

LOL KYIS, I'll make sure and use pinto beans and this is funny..I DO live in Texas! In Ft. Worth in fact. But was born and lived in Wichita, Ks. until I was 14, so I guess that explains the beans, lol. I am very well aware (married a native Texan) that Texans prefer their chili without beans! Thank you so much for your recipe and I'll let you know how it turns out..even with the beans!

Oh and I very rarely use poultry either, I prefer lean ground beef, so will be using that!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GypsyDancer52,

And here is mine...sorta cause I never measure anything when I make chili!

1-1 1/2lbs. LEAN ground meat (I use ground sirloin)
Brown it.
Add one med. sized diced onion & cook for a couple of minutes.
Add about 2T chilli powder...any kind!
Depending on how many beans you want...dump in 2-3 (smaller) cans of Bush's chili beans (mild)
2-3 (smaller) cans of diced tomatoes.
salt/pepper to taste.
Simmer for about an hour.

Taste it along the way, the spice heat can increase with cooking heat. If not spicey enough add some more chili powder.

If you think some folks will like it more spicey...drop by Taco Bell & pick up a few packets of their HOT taco sauce...those folks can spike their own! ((big grin))

We just had chili last night, tonight was spaghetti!

ga.karen, thank you! Yum, that sounds great too! May have to kind of combine the 2 recipes, lol, though they are very similar! I thought of going through Wendys and getting a few of their packets of hot chili spice to let people spice theirs with! Thanks to all of you for your help! Merry Christmas to you all!

Oh - I also use ground beef - but I only use it if I've taken the time to grind my own - and I like ground turkey - that's why I use it - and I add Lipton's dried Beef Onion Soup mix - which gives it a beefy flavor.
I'm NOT from Texas - but live in the Seattle area - and we all call a meat and beans mixture, chili around here - though I very well realize how Texans fix their various chilis - and I've traveled through Texas and very much enjoyed their road-side barbecue food.
But - I gave you my own personal home-cooked version of chili - use whatever ground or diced meat of your choice - suit your own tastes - of course. We're sharing here - not trying to emulate each other - but to give our own individual recipes. I also use Bush's chili beans in a seasoned sauce - and buy it whenever it's a good price. I use many different kinds of beans - and I use a minimal amount of any kind of meat - I enjoy the beans more than I do the meat anyway - and the sauce and seasonings.

Some people say it's not chili if it has tomatoes in it. My 1st DH was like that so I ran my tomatoes through the blender and he never knew. I just like the tomato flavor...it just adds to the chili.

Chili tastes are definitely regional! And recipes vary greatly. It depends on what you are used to eating. How your mother made it...etc.

Sorry Seaborne, I did not mean to bash your ground turkey and should've not even ventured there. Ground poultry can be substituted in any recipe calling for ground beef...and vice versa. Once again, it is a matter of taste.

Same as the beans. And I must admit...I've had some leftover chili and unexpected guests...pour in a can of Ranch Style pinto beans and a can of corn. Serve with corn tortillas. Makes a pretty good stretch! But it's not chili any more.

I make chili-beans alot like the rest ofyou all.Some time I have make it hearty with pieces of steak or roast in it too.
We started a tradition 12-13 years ago,when DH proposed.I had a huge Christmas party and that is what we served.Everyone loved it.It was different and filling.
I love left overs with wraps,shredd cheese,lettece and sour cream... chili-bean burittos.Can place them in a cassrole dish,pour over sausa,diced tomatoes and top with cheese.Yum!!

Chili & chili-beans are like hotdogs with/without chili in different areas of the USA.Here it's not a hotdog without chili on top.Unless I'm eating plan wennie dog off the grill

What works for us here, and we love it is this:

Brown a pound or so of ground beef with chopped onions. at the same time start heating 2 cans of dark red kidney beans WITH their liquid, 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 large can of crushed tomatoes. add crushed garlic or garlic powder and salt to taste. drain burger and add to tomatoes/beans etc. add chilli powder to taste, let simmer at lowest heat for about an hour stir occasionally.

when I serve I alsway sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top.

There you go, Kathy - sounds good - simple and nutritious. By the way, I have also been known to add a package of frozen Fiesta mix beans / corn to the last cup or two of chili - stretches it - and more corn or tomatoes as needed. Lots of ways to "gild the lily."

ALL of ya'lls recipes sound great and I think I'll take a different one and try them all, one at a time, after the holidays! I thank ALL of you and as I said, will try each one!

Hello Everyone,
I know I am late with this reply, but I wanted to add my two cents. In this house we use pork for our chili. We never make chili and beans together, what we do is cook a separate pot of chili and a seperate pot of beans that way everyone can mix as they like. One likes more bean than chili another doesn't like beans in it. We also serve it either over boiled potatoes or rice and occasionally add corn.

I keep forgetting I said I would post back and let ya'll know how the chili came out. KYIS, I used your recipe and it was delicious! Everyone loved it, so thank you so much! I'm going to try to try everyone's on here before winter is over!

I'm glad y'all liked it!

Ooooh...a "chili" winter! Sounds like a great idea!!

ga.karen and gypsy dancer - you guys are a bad influence on us. Suggesting we go in and swipe sauce packets!!!

I did recently find some in my glove compartment. Wonder how long they've been there?

GypsyD: ever have Wendy's chili? Lots of folks say it's pretty good - w or wo the hot sauce packets!

And count me in on beans - great way to get no fat protein and more fiber!

I make chile by browning ground pork, hamburg and veal in a huge pan, drain any grease and pat meat while in pan after cooking with paper towel. Add jar sauce, I like the veg. Ragoo sauce and add some salsa, about 1/2 cup 1/2 tsp. pepper, 2 tblspns sugar, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, and chili powderstart with 1/2 tsp cook for a bit and taste. if taste buds don't say wow, add more chili powder.When taste is there, add 1 can kidney beans 1 can brown beans and 1 can white gabanzo beans, heat and taste again.YUM!

I really like chili but no beans for me. I have never, ever liked beans.

nance, shhhh! Don't tell anyone about us swiping the sauce packets! I love Wendy's chili and I like it with or without the sauce packet but do prefer it WITH the packet! Makes it spicy and so yummy!

flboy, another good recipe to try! Winter better last awhile!

quote:

nance, shhhh! Don't tell anyone about us swiping the sauce packets!

Mum's the word!