How to Make Fast and Cheap Chili

A single parent has to find every way they can to reduce the food bill. Cooking inexpensive, yet healthy meals can be tough going when the funds are low and you are the only one bringing in the income.

During my years raising my kids as a single mother, I found lots of ways to cut corners and stretch my food supply. I found that a mother who was around a lot was like a magnet to my kid's friends, so often found myself feeding other kids too.

Chili is a great "stretch" meal. For those of you who have never been at the short end of a long week "stretch" means to find meals and dishes that will turn into more than one meal. Because chili is usually a multiple soup dish, and because it can also be turned into chili mac, or a variety of other meals, it is just great.

Chili is a very popular dish throughout the world. So much so, that there are Chili Cook-Offs everywhere. My own city holds a Chili Fest every year, where people bring their own recipes, enter competitions and win awards for the best around.

I even wrote an article about J.R. Knudson who won the 40th Annual World Championship. His winning chili recipe won him $25,000 and ConAgra awarded Knudson $5,000 for using their food products

As you can see, chili is a pretty popular, and in some cases, pretty rewarding food.

But, in my case, I was just looking for cheap. So, without further ado, here is the recipe for the best and cheapest chili recipe around. Best, according to all the friends of my kids, who are now in their late 20's and early 30's.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lean ground beef
1 can V-8 (hot)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can Brooks Hot Chili Beans
1 can Brooks Mild Chili Beans
1 small can mushrooms
1 small onion
½ green pepper
1 packet Brooks Chili Seasoning

Sauté' ground beef with chopped onion and green pepper

Once hamburger is brown, shake chili seasoning into the mixture - let it combine

In a large cooking pot, combine beans, mushroom, stewed tomatoes, and V-8
Heat over warm temperature.

Mix hamburger, pepper, and onion mixture with beans, mushroom, tomatoes, and V-8
Heat over warm temperature for ½ hour.

Now, it will be ready to eat.

However, like all good chili, it will be better the next day.

This will serve up to 5-8 people.

Leftovers can be combined with macaroni, linguini, or spaghetti. Or to stretch it in a different way, just add more V-8!

Let's face it, award-winning chili is more expensive to prepare, and most kids wouldn't like it, anyway. Over the years, I have found that teenagers love simple and quick. If they don't like an ingredient, they are not above picking it out, and throwing it away, or putting it next to their bowl, either. So, watch out for lone pieces of stewed tomatoes, or mushrooms.

Get ready, though, for a long tradition. Adults who were once those kids at your table will still get silly about your chili.