When the weather is cool outside, I always fix my family’s favorite – homemade chili. I mean, let’s face it, cool weather and chili go together like peanut butter and jelly.

A piping hot bowl of chili on a cool, crisp fall or winter day is always a hit. Serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter, and jelly sandwiches,  or a huge piece of cornbread.

The great thing about chili is that you can freeze it for later.   You can put your leftovers into a freezer friendly container a store for a week or two.  When you want a quick weeknight meal, just thaw, heat and serve.

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg of Wick Fowler’s 2-Alarm Chili Seasoning Kit

2 lbs lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 – 8 oz can kidney beans

1 – 8 oz can pinto beans

1 – 16 oz can tomato sauce

1 – 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 cup of water

1 cup of beef broth

1 large yellow onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown meat, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet or a saucepan. Once browned, toss in garlic and let cook for about two minutes.  Remove from heat and drain excess fat.

2. Empty the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, and water into a large pot and heat. 

3. Add cooked meat to your sauce.

4. Stir in all of the Wick Fowler packaged ingredients (except masa flour).

5. Cover skillet or saucepan and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.

6. Mix masa flour into ¼ cup warm water and pour into chili. Let simmer another 10 to 15 minutes. You can skip this step if you prefer a thinner chili.

7. Remove pot from heat. Let chili rest 7 – 10 minutes.

8. Add desired toppings and serve.

Ready in about 60 minutes

Serves 8 people

Tip: If you like your chili a little spicier, you can add more red pepper.  If you prefer a milder chili, you can skip the red pepper altogether.

What’s your favorite cold weather comfort food? Share in the comments.