Pantry Chili

This is my first recipe posting.  I started making up recipes because I get in a hurry after work and I don't feel like finding the recipe, finding the ingredients and mixing everything together just right.  Not only that, sometimes my children eat my ingredients as snacks before I get to the recipe, and then what do I do?!

My mother always made what I call Yankee Chili.  I live in Texas (not really from here, but lived here since I was 11, so I feel like I'm from here) and Texans don't put beans in chili.  But my mother's chili always had beans and ground beef.  I followed her recipe, sort of, but my kids wouldn't eat it.  So I played with it and tried it calling it soup instead of chili and finally came up with something they will eat.  And I think it's great because all of the ingredients stay in the pantry so they won't spoil, and it doesn't take much time to make, so you can keep everything on hand to make when you are in a rush and don't have anything else to make!

I don't think it's terribly unhealthy (until I tell you how we serve it!). Here are the ingredients:

You may notice the corn chips. . .  there may be some shredded cheddar cheese at the end as well . . . 

So here's how easy this is:

1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 large cans crushed tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers
1 T chili powder for mild flavor, or more for spice
1 t oregano leaves
1 1/2 t minced garlic
salt and pepper

Combine the beans,tomatoes and corn in a large pot.  Season to taste.  My kids do not like spicy food, but I don't like bland food.  My solution is to cover the surface with the chili powder, which works out to about a tablespoon.  It definitely provides flavor without much bite.  You'll need a lot more than that if you want spice.  I put in about 10 shakes of the minced garlic, a teaspoon or so of the oregano, and several shakes of pepper.  I don't add much salt (because you probably noticed the corn chips. . . .)

Let this simmer for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can combine, and you're good to go.  My son was impatient and ate it sooner, but the beans were pretty firm and there wasn't as much flavor.

You can serve this like we do, if you want to make your mouth happy.  Put some corn chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle on some chili, then sprinkle on some shredded cheddar.  Yum, yum.  Not healthy, to be sure, but definitely tasty.  You can also serve it with cornbread, which may be a bit more healthy.

If you have some time, you can chop some onion and saute it with garlic and bell peppers, then add the beans and tomatoes to it.  You might want to use plain corn if you do this.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Karen