A Single Mom's Chili Recipe (Quick & Easy)

I'm always on the lookout for new meal ideas for my daughter. It's important to me that she eats healthy and I do my best to stay away from processed foods, so, I do a lot of preparation for her weekly meals. I decided to attempt to throw together a very mild chili recipe and I'm thrilled with the outcome. I first served this chili at her one-year birthday party and everyone loved it. It's quick, it's easy, and it's convertible to your needs and tastes.

I'm a single, working, mom so I do my best to save bits of time at every given opportunity. This recipe allows me to create something new for my daughter, prepare a quantity that allows for leftovers (time saver), and do it in a very reasonable amount of time.

I've noticed that she (my daughter) enjoys somewhat spicy foods. Although she seems to love my chili I always limit the quantity and frequency of her intake.

Parents: Keep in mind that some of the ingredients in this chili can cause abdominal gas, so, small portions are recommended for children.

You'll need:
3 lbs. Ground Turkey (or beef, whichever you prefer).
1 Large White Onion
3 Green Bellpeppers
2 Red Peppers
2 Medium Yellow Hot Peppers (Jalepeno Peppers)
2 15 oz. Cans Kidney Beans
2 Medium (roughly 8 oz) Cans Diced Tomatoes
2 Small Cans Tomato Sauce
2 Packages Chili Seasoning
1 12 oz. Package Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Yields: 10 - 12 large bowls of chili.
Those are the basic ingredients, however, there are a few things that I've learned improves the quality/flavoring of the recipe to meet my needs. As I previously stated, I try to be a health conscious cook. I also love a lot of flavor in anything I make, and that's where these changes came in.

First off, I use kidney beans that advertise "No Salt Added'. I prefer McCormick Chili Seasoning, but, I use their "Less Sodium" version. I always use turkey meat because it's definitely a healthier choice then ground beef, however, turkey is a bit more bland than ground beef so I allow it to cook longer to absorb more of the flavor of the other ingredients. To get just a little more flavor I purchase cans of diced tomatoes that have onion and oregeno or garlic and herbs already blended into the tomatoes. This, of course, is all completely optional. You can also change the amounts of meat, veggies, and seasonings you use to fit your family size and your individual tastes. The convertibility of this meal is one of it's biggest pros.

Preparation

I use an electric skillet, but, a 3-4 inch deep stove-top skillet would work just as well. You'll want to heat your skillet to 300 degrees. While your skillet is heating you'll need to wash and dice your onion, bellpeppers, red peppers and yellow hot peppers. Make sure to drain both cans of kidney beans and rinse them as well. Add your ground meat to the skillet and begin to brown. Add your onion ONLY. After ground meat is browned add the remainder of your vegetables, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and tomatoe sauce. Stir until all ingredients are well-blended, add chili seasoning mix. Stir again ensuring all ingredients are well coated with the chili seasoning mix. Cover and lower skillet to a simmer. Allow to cook for 45 minutes. Hint: When using turkey meat allow chili to cook for 1hr 15min.

When serving top your chili with shredded cheddar and, if desired, raw diced onion and green bellpepper. If you prefer you can allow this chili to cook for up to 3 and a half hours, but I wouldn't recommend anything longer than that at a very low heat. Allow the left-overs to cool, refridgerate, and serve within 7 days. When reheating make sure that your chili reaches a cooking temperature of, at least, 160 degrees. Enjoy!