Chili Recipe

Every now and then when I open up my freezer and dig around in it I find some forgotten hamburger that is getting a bit old and so I use it up to either make tacos or chili.  My chili recipe is my mothers, but I have tweaked it a bit.  It's super easy and I love it because I can make so many suppers with a batch of chili:  first night we have chili, the next we have baked potato with all the fixings and the third night I make chili dogs.  Plus I like to make that yummy dip with Velveeta, chili ans salsa.  I always make a huge batch so that I am able to freeze enough for another meal or two.  Another great thing about chili is I use it to get rid of leftovers in the fridge.  For example I will use tomato soup from our grilled cheese meal, fried hamburger that I didn't use up completely in another recipe, a bit of rice and I have even thrown in a tiny bit of spaghetti sauce.  Because of this, my chili is never the same, but it always tastes good.

Ingredients for Chili 
(these are all approximates, as I just throw stuff in until it tastes good)

• 2 lbs. Hamburger
• 1-2 Onions, chopped (I like mine in big chunks, but if your kids hate large pieces of onion, chop them finely)
• 1 Qt. Jar of Tomatoes or Stewed Tomatoes
• 2 Cans Tomato Soup
• Salt and Pepper to taste (approximately 1 t. each)
• 1-2 T. Chili Powder
• 2-3 t. Cumin
• 2-3 t. Garlic Powder
• 2 Cans Of Your Favorite Beans Rinsed and Drained or 1-1 1/2 C. of Dried Beans, soaked and cooked according to directions.  I love the 3 Bean Chili beans from Azure.  I will never go back to canned beans again.

First, brown the hamburger with the onions and drain the grease.  Sprinkle the meat with garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin.  Add the stewed tomatoes and concentrated tomato soup, but do not add water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer.  Stir now and then.  I let my chili simmer for close to an hour.  Give the chili a taste and add more of the seasonings if you need. About 30 min. before serving add the beans.  I really like a lot of cumin in my chili and I never skimp on the garlic.

Serve with crackers, cheese, sour cream and a side of warm cornbread.  A perfect meal for a cold day.