Is cooking chili at home generally a waste of time and money?

[Anonymous]

I try to time chili within a few days of a homemade Mac and cheese. Then, with the leftovers of each, I get chili Mac (my personal secret ingredient - a small bit of sweet relish to the chili Mac).

[Anonymous]

This is great thread for a cold day! Just told the fam we are having chili tonight. I am a Texan, but like beans in my chili. For those who grow tomatoes in the summer, I have added roasted green tomatoes to chili and thought it was pretty tasty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Texan to tell us that putting beans and ground meat in chili is wrong?

I'm a Texan and we use ground meat, we just often also use chuck. (The person who said they used brisket is top 3 craziest in this thread - chili is making something delicious out of not amazing meat. There are far better uses for brisket.) Beans vs no beans is a blown out of proportion joke rivalry amongst chili makers - most agree that beans in a chili is just a personal preference and a good chili with beans is still 5 steps ahead of, for instance, using oatmeal as a thickener or putting sugar in cornbread.

White chili is not chili FYI. It's chicken stew.

I'm the brisket person, and also Texan. I grew up using brisket in my chili, I'm not sure why you think using brisket is crazy It's a very common cut of meat to use in chili. Here's a good recipe to try: https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/brisket-chili

This is another good recipe https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/texas-beef-brisket-chili

Hello, fellow brisket lover. I posted the same Texas chili recipe earlier in the thread. It is one of my family’s all-time favorite meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ingredients cost more than you think. It takes so much time and cleanup, even with a crock or instant pot. I have no idea why but it's always a challenge to get the recipe just right (sometimes it comes out way too spicy or just incredibly mediocre). No matter what, we always make too big of a batch, so the kids are tired of it and nobody wants chili on day 2 or 3. Moving forward, I think if we're craving chili we're just going to get it to-go from a restaurant that specializes in making it.

The ingredients are cheap because you can use cheap, tough cuts of meat. I have a great recipe for chili with chipotle peppers in adobo. It always turns out perfectly. You put the leftovers in the freezer. Chili is super-easy and you get several meals out of it.

Hi -

I have used the canned chipolte in adobo for other recipes but not for chili - can you share your recipe.

Also would love a green chili/pork recipe - green chili sounds good - maybe I can use that giant jar of green chili sauce from Costco for it?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Wendy’s drive-thru FTW!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? No. Ground beef, canned beans, chili powder, tomato sauce, boxed cornbread. Freeze half for another time.

LMAO I have no idea whaat this is aa recipe for but it's not chili

anyway, OP, I just freeze it. It freezes really well and I like to have it for lunch.

WTF are you talking about?

Post your recipe.

She's probably referring to the tomato sauce. I've never heard of chili being made with tomato sauce.

My recipe is similar -- 80% lean ground beef (drained), pinto or chili beans (keep the juice), chili powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes (canned is fine), a cup of stout or porter. Serve over corn bread, corn chips (fritos) or tortilla chips. Shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce bar.

It’s pretty common. A lot of people don’t like hunks of warm tomato (I agree).

As a kid I hated chili, then I eventually figured out you don't have to have slimy hunks of canned tomatoes swimming around in it like my dad made it.

This is EXACTLY how I felt about chili as a kid - chunky onions - tomatoes - slimy beans. I realized I did not hate chili after making it more like a taco meat sauce and working my way up to adding veggies, etc.

[Anonymous]

We do chili very often, and it's good for using up stuff we have - for meat I'll use ground beef or turkey plus a link or two of Italian sausage if I have it. I might fry a slice or two of bacon in with the onions.We use almost any leftover odd veg - of course onions and garlic - but also peppers, carrots, mushrooms. Cans of beans if I have them.

The thing that stays consistent is the proportion of spices, which I don't know offhand, but I know it's mostly chili powder, then cumin, then paprika and some others. Toasting the spices with the onions is a good idea.

A big batch of chili is put into 2-cup containers and into the freezer. My DH will take one out when he needs a fast lunch or dinner--he doesn't get sick of it.

BUT for a more traditional chili - try the Texas Chili from the Bride and Groom cookbook - here's a reproduction of it on a blog - https://themilkmanswife.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/guess-whos-backback-again/ -- I once won a chili cookoff party with this one.

[Anonymous]

It's quick, simple, cheap, and everyone in our family likes it. I make huge batches and freeze for later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Texan to tell us that putting beans and ground meat in chili is wrong?

I'm a Texan and we use ground meat, we just often also use chuck. (The person who said they used brisket is top 3 craziest in this thread - chili is making something delicious out of not amazing meat. There are far better uses for brisket.) Beans vs no beans is a blown out of proportion joke rivalry amongst chili makers - most agree that beans in a chili is just a personal preference and a good chili with beans is still 5 steps ahead of, for instance, using oatmeal as a thickener or putting sugar in cornbread.

White chili is not chili FYI. It's chicken stew.

I'm the brisket person, and also Texan. I grew up using brisket in my chili, I'm not sure why you think using brisket is crazy It's a very common cut of meat to use in chili. Here's a good recipe to try: https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/brisket-chili

This is another good recipe https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/texas-beef-brisket-chili

Hello, fellow brisket lover. I posted the same Texas chili recipe earlier in the thread. It is one of my family’s all-time favorite meals.

Hi back! It’s one of ours too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wendy’s drive-thru FTW!

I worked at Wendy’s. Trust me, you do not want to eat that chili.

[Anonymous]

No because no one else can cook it like me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wendy’s drive-thru FTW!

I worked at Wendy’s. Trust me, you do not want to eat that chili.

Please, tell me more..

[Anonymous]

Cookie and Kate vegetarian chili is hands down the best chili ever. My family much prefers it to the ground beef kind.

[Anonymous]

I was just thinking I need to learn how to make chili. Thanks everyone (esp those who posted actual recipes since I'm a terrible cook and can't wing it!)

[Anonymous]

I hate recipes that say “whatever extra veggies or meat you have handy throw it in there” Most of our extra stuff is extra for a reason.