Recipe
Let me start by saying two things.
1. There are a LOT of ways to make a really good chili.
2. The best meals are often the ones with the least amount of thought and effort.
The first one makes me pretty happy. I can say “we’re having chili for dinner” and it’s not greeted with a moan of “agaaain?” because the chances of it being the same as last time are slim to none.
The second one should please me, but it drives me up the wall. Meal planning and dinner-brainstorming is hard work! Especially when you {gasp} have no interest in food.
It seems like the dinners that happen only after hours of staring vacantly into the pantry waiting for magic to appear, and only happen after randomly grabbing things and throwing them into a pot out of desperation {or starvation}, are the dinners that turn out the best.
I’m sure there’s a direct correlation between time spent preparing dinner and it’s subsequent deliciousness, and much to my dismay, it goes in the opposite direction one would think.
Back to the first point. You can make a really stinking good chili that takes all day simmering on the stove or crock pot.
Or you can spend 5 to 20 minutes and come up with something as equally delicious. The frustrating rules of the kitchen.
Case in point: Pantry Chili. Kind of like kitchen sink chili, but without as many ingredients.
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
-
1
small onion
chopped
-
1
clove
garlic
minced
-
1 14.5
oz
can dark red kidney beans
-
1 14.5
oz
can navy beans
-
1 14.5
oz
fire roasted diced tomatoes
-
1
can diced tomatoes with green chiles {like Rotel}
-
1-2
Tbsp
Worcestershire sauce
-
1/2
tsp
fennel seeds
-
1 1/2
Tbsp
chili powder
-
1
tsp
cumin
-
1/2
tsp
paprika
-
1/2
tsp
cayenne pepper
-
Optional: cilantro
-
Saute onion over medium high heat until starting to brown. Stir in garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.
-
Add in all remaining ingredients.
-
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-20 minutes.
-
Serve steaming hot!
Pssst…wanna know my secret for making it taste like it’s been cooking all day? Fennel seeds and Worcestershire sauce. Now don’t go telling anybody…
Chili of course is supremely sufficient as a one bowl meal, but to balance it out and change it up a little bit, it also goes perfectly with a simple side like roasted red potatoes.
Chopped up red potatoes coated in olive oil, a clove of minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roasted at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, flipping after 30.
I think it goes without saying that chili also goes perfectly with corn bread. Something about the spicy paired with the ever so slight hint of sweet. Heck, forget the chili, just give me corn muffins!
Heck, forget the chili, just give me corn muffins!
What’s your favorite version of chili? Black bean wins for me, hands down!
P.S. Vote for my Nature Made Better You entry on Facebook! Please! 🙂
Also: My 21 Week pregnancy update is up over at tiny sneakers!
Recipe
Pinterest is a lot of things.
First, it’s dumb and confusing.
Then, it’s awesome and addictive.
Finally, it’s a source of ideas, inspiration and frequent exclamations of “oh, cool!” and “why didn’t I think of that?!”.
Sometimes those exclamations are for seemingly silly things. Like this:
A picture of potatoes in a Crockpot. Baked potatoes in a slow cooker? Who knew? Well of course I had to try it. Having a hot oven on for an hour at the end of August is just ridiculous for two wimpy baked potatoes.
So washed, dried, rubbed in olive oil and salt, and wrapped in foil, into the slow cooker they go. I’m impatient, so I cranked it up to high and crossed my fingers they’d be done in 4 hours. Six or so hours on low is probably the right way to do it.
While I waited for the potatoes to cook, I took advantage of my no-need-to-watch cooking method and settled down to catch up on a little work. And because it was Sunday, I opted to do it in front of the tv- a rare occurrence.
And look what I happened to turn on:
The LA Kings episode of Cupcake Wars- the one featuring Mission Minis, who you may recognize from last year’s Foodbuzz Festival. I finally saw it! {Although I turned it on late, so I didn’t see if any Foodbuzz footage actually made the cut. Anybody know?} I won’t ruin the outcome for you. 
Well, look at that. Baked potatoes without a hot oven. A cool trick {no pun intended}, although I can barely plan an hour in advance for dinner, let alone 6.
[Tweet “Did you know you could make baked potatoes in the #Crockpot? You can! Here’s how:”]
Baked potatoes alone do not a meal make, so while I was waiting for the potatoes to finish up their magical baking process, I whipped up some chili.
Of course, having a hot pot of chili boiling on the stove isn’t so conducive to summer either, so I went with a quick-cooking cheater’s chili: smashed chili beans.
Top baked potatoes with chili and any other toppings of choice, like salsa, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro or jalapenos.
Now that’s a one dish meal.
by with a Side of Sneakers
For the Potatoes
- 2-4 Idaho potatoes
- olive oil
- salt
For the Chili Beans
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- sprinkle red pepper flakes
- splash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can dark red kidney beans
- Optional: shredded cheddar cheese {if not making vegan}
For the Crockpot Potatoes
Wash & dry potatoes.
Rub with olive oil & salt.
Wrap in foil & place in slow cooker.
Cook on low for ~6 hours {or high for 4 hrs}.
For the Chili Beans
Saute onion until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add in green pepper and garlic. Cook about 2 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and water. Mix well.
Add in spices and kidney beans.
Using spatula, gently mash some of the kidney beans, leaving some whole.
Simmer over low heat until chili thickens or until ready to serve.
Top baked potatoes with chili and any other toppings of choice, like salsa, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro or jalapenos.
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[Tweet “Crockpot baked potatoes & smashed chili beans #fitfluential”]
What’s your favorite baked potato topping? Mine used to be ketchup and ranch. {Baked potatoes: the secret to stretching out a college meal plan.}
Sound good? You might also like these:
Moe’s Queso Dip
Sweet Potato Chicken Patties
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
