Skillet Chili

Last night I had two hungry little boys and ground beef in the fridge. I didn't want to make the same old thing and wanted to feed my kids - Fast! Came across this recipe and tweaked it a little. In 30 minutes I had dinner and the kids scarfed it down! As always, add flavors to taste, sub meat for whatever you have on hand and noodles too!

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 - 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 - 15 oz can kidney beans, drained

1/2 C salsa

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 C macaroni noodles

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Brown meat, onions, and garlic in a deep sided pan (that has a lid). Drain fat. Add all other ingredients, except cheddar cheese. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until noodles are cooked. Sprinkle cheese on top, remove from heat and replace lid until cheese melts - about 2 minutes. Serve.

You could add veggies to this dish if you want to slide in some extra nutrients for your kids. Zucchini, beats, eggplant, whatever.

Turkey and Sausage Chili

We had this inside Publix one afternoon, Scott and I. He ate the whole thing and asked the sweet lady for more!

2 C cooked turkey breast, coarsely chopped

12 oz (3 links) Italian chicken sausage

2 small onions, coarsely chopped

2 poblano peppers, coarsely chopped (it's not spicy, but you can use 1 if you like)

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

2 cans nacy beans, drained

2 C chicken broth

1 t cumin

1 C whole milk

1 t canola oil

1 t chili powder

1/2 t dried oregano

1/4 t pepper

Prep: Chop turney, onions, pepper (toss seeds)

Preheat large pot on medium-high with oil. Add peppers and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes until tender.

Reduce heat to medium. Remove casing from sausage and add to pan. Cook 5-6 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring frequently crumbling meat.

Stir in cumin, chili powder, oregano, pepper, beans and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Stir in turkey and milk, cook 2-3 minutes.

Serve in bowls, top with cheese.

RosaLee's Chili

Here's the background: RosaLee worked with my mother at Lee Road Radiology. I was with RosaLee and her husband, Franklin, the day my mother passed. She was a very dear friend. This recipe made me fall in love with chili. I disliked it until then......

1 lb Ground Beef (now - you really can sub any meat into chili, and it can be ground or chunky)

1 Med Onion, chopped

2 C Water

2 Cans diced tomatoes (stewed or 2 fresh diced tomatoes works too)

2 Cans tomato sauce

2 Cans kidney beans, drained

1 T Chili powder

1 T Paprika

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 C Salsa

1 C Instant Potato Flakes

1/2 C Sour Cream

1 C Shredded Cheese - I use cheddar

1 Bag Tostito's Chips

Brown meat and onion in a pot. Drain fat. Add water, beans, tomatoes, chili powder, paprika, garlic and salsa to pot. (Tip: don't dump the seasonings in, sprinkle them in and stir so they don't clump together. I'm sure you don't want to bite into a clump of chili powder!) Bring to boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Add potato flakes and sour cream, stir and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in bowls. Top with cheese and eat with chips.

Feel free to tweak this recipe any way you wish. I have done it with steak bites in a crock pot, chicken with green peppers, the sky's the limit. I'm going to try it with rabbit meat this fall.