Where did spring go??? It was in the high 70s last week here in DC and today its in the low 60s! So I wanted something to warm me up tonight. Chili is the answer! Chili can be easily made on a weeknight and is such a flexible meal to make. You can add almost whatever you want to chili. You could make it more spicy depending on your taste. I have even made chili in a slow cooker. I love how versatile chili is and I wanted to share with you this basic chili recipe. You also can serve this chili alone, without the pasta.
Ingredients
½ pound dry pasta (I used whole wheat rotini.)
½ to ¾ pound lean ground beef (You may use ground turkey instead.)
28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
10 ounces can diced tomatoes & green chilies
15.5 ounces can black beans
15.25 ounces can whole kernel sweet corn
1 small onion
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional Toppings
1 avocado, diced
shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend of cheddar, montery jack, colby and mozzarella cheeses.)
sour cream
corn chips
scallions, chopped
cilantro, chopped
black olives, sliced
Directions
For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain pasta.
For the chili:
Dice the onion into bite sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet/pan/pot on medium high heat. Add diced onion and sauté until soft. Next, add ground beef with salt, black pepper, cumin and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Stir onions and beef while cooking until no longer pink.
Add diced tomatoes & green chilies. Add crushed tomatoes. Drain corn and black beans and add to chili. Stir in 1 tablespoon chili powder.
Reduce heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
You can add the cooked pasta into the chili and stir to mix or you can just serve the pasta topped with chili. Top with cheese and/or any topping(s) you would like.
Serves 4-6. Enjoy!