I always LOVED my mom’s chili growing up. It was always good, and I never knew how easy it was to make till I was an adult and had children of my own. I never made a pot myself until I had children. A pot of chili would’ve been too much. However, I love freezer meals, which is not something my mom did a lot of. Chili is a GREAT freezer meal! It is hearty. It is healthy. It is protein packed. It can be vegetarian, just skip the step where you add the beef or sausage. It can be Gluten Free, just make sure that any beef broth you might use is gluten free. It is dairy free.
So now that we all know how easy it is and how nutritious it is, let’s talk about how versatile it is! Here is a list of different meals you can make with this Classic Chili as the base –
- Chili Bowl, like shown in this post
- Navajo Tacos
- Taco Salad
- Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Coney Island Dog, or Chili Dog
- Chili Fries
Please do not come after us about using canned beans. This is the FAST, WEEK NIGHT, BUSY LIFE version of classic chili. However, if you would like soak beans and use your own canned tomatoes and sauce, then GO for it!
You can use any combination of beans that you like. I always do this combo. 3 pinto, 1 kidney, 1 black, 2 diced tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce (not pictured). Empty the beans into a strainer set in the sink. Drain and rinse them thoroughly in cold water from the faucet.
Heat a medium sized pot. Add olive oil. Add in the minced onion and garlic. Sauté till aromatic and slightly cooked.
Add in 1 lb. of ground beef or Italian sausage. If you want a vegetarian chili, then just skip this step.
Add in the drained beans.
Add in the two cans of tomatoes and 1 can of tomato sauce. Use water filled halfway up in each can, to swish around in the can and rinse it. Dump into the pot.
I like to add 1-2 Tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon beef soup base. This is optional. You could also use 2 cubes of beef bouillon or prepared beef or vegetable broth in place of the water to rinse the cans.
Mix a blend of seasonings. I like to have a jar of this chili seasoning ready to use many different soups and casseroles. Use 5 Tablespoons of this blend, included on the recipe card below, and stir it into the chili.
Let the chili simmer, while stirring occasionally, for 20 – 40 minutes. Or you could follow instructions in the notes on the recipe card below for slow cooker instructions.
Today we are serving it up classic style. A hot bowl of chili on a cold day, with corn chips, cheese and sour cream.
One of the BEST ways to eat this Classic Chili is in a Navajo Taco! Check out the fry bread recipe HERE and make this soon! My family goes nuts when I make this. And it reminds of Grandma Mott. She used to make these for us. In fact this recipe is her exact one. I got it from my cousin. I am SO glad that she had it!
If you like this recipe, then you might also like these –
- Fast & Dirty Chili
- Feijoada – Brazilian Black Bean Stew
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Black Bean Adobo Chili
- Bean Soup
- New Mexico Green Chili Stew with Chicken
Classic Chili
Equipment
- Medium-Large pot
- Strainer for draining and rinsing beans
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup sweet onion, minced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or 1-2 TBSP
- 1 lb. lean ground beef for spicier, use Italian sausage
- 45 oz. pinto beans 3 cans
- 15 oz. kidney beans 1 can
- 15 oz. black beans 1 can
- 30 oz. canned, diced tomatoes
- 15 oz. canned tomato sauce
- 2-3 cups water, or beef broth, depending on desired thickness
- 1 recipe Chili Seasoning Blend 5 Tablespoons
- salt to taste, if needed after simmering
Chili Seasoning Blend (makes 5 Tablespoons)
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1-2 dashes cayenne or ground red pepper
Instructions
- Open the five cans of beans. We recommend 3 pinto, 1 black and 1 kidney, but you could use all pinto if you wish or do whatever combo you like. Pour the beans into the strainer, while sitting in a sink. Use the faucet to rinse the beans thoroughly. Set aside till needed.
- Heat a heavy bottomed, medium sized pot over medium high heat. Drizzle in the olive oil. Add the minced onion and garlic. Lower heat. Sauté till aromatic.
- Add the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break it up and cook till fully browned and crumbled.
- Add in the drained beans, the two cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Use a little in the cans of tomatoes and sauce to rinse out and add to the pot. This does not have to be an exact measurement. About 2-3 cups of water.
- **Add a Tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon beef soup base or 2 cubes of beef bouillon. Or you can use already prepared beef broth to help rinse the cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Stir in the chili seasoning blend. Let the pot simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for anywhere from 20-40 minutes.