I cook dinner almost every night for the House O’ Chuck. The reason I don’t do it EVERY night is because Tim and the wolves have to eat the leftovers before I can make more grub. Those are the rules. And since we haven’t eaten in a restaurant, and haven’t consumed fast food junk in years, I try to make dinner more creative.
It had occurred to me that I have never made chili in the 18 years I’ve been in this relationship. To be honest, I don’t eat meat. But when I did – I look back fondly on my Dad’s chili. He made the absolute best and I wanted to make something along the lines of what I remember when I was a kid. I think I got it. Or at least close to it. And the best part of this recipe? It’ll feed a family of 4 comfortably for under $20. There WILL be leftovers.

- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 3/4 cup diced green pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 (10.75 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans with liquid
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- Secret ingredient: 1/2 cup ketchup
- Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly brown, then drain.
- Place the beef in a slow cooker, and mix with all items on the ingredient list. It'll look like there isn't enough "juice" for the chili, but there will be by the time it's done. Don't worry.
- Cover, and cook 8 hours on low. (I normally cook 6 hours and it comes out just fine).
- The measurements I have above are approximate to what I use. I rarely use a measuring spoon, I just do dashes from the spice container. I tried to get it exact for you.
- Tim likes his chili over rice (which I make in beef stock instead of water). He also likes cornbread. So the last 30 minutes of slow cook time, I make the rice and cornbread for him. It will all be done at the same time.
- You can also add any garnish you like when you're done. I usually add shredded cheese to my bowl and add a few spoonfuls of sour cream to Tim's. I don't know what you have in your fridge. Live it up!
- Enjoy dinner!
Tags: beef, budget, chili, dinner, Food, hot, slow cooker