My Favorite Comfort Food: Last Minute Chili – Blog hop and Link Party

If you are stopping by from At Home on the Bay, welcome! I can’t wait to try Mary’s Cheddar Jack Cheese Potato Casserole –  it looks so good! Of course, anything with cheese and potatoes is okay with me. Now, let’s move on to my easy last minute chili!

Is it just me, or do you start to crave comfort foods once the calendar flips to October? What’s a comfort food, you might ask?

Even here in Florida, where we don’t get much of a seasonal change in October, I crave old favorites like baked macaroni and cheese, apple pie, and french toast, once we lose a little bit of the humidity in the air. One of the staples in my house during the cooler months is my Easy Last Minute Chili. It makes me think of crisp fall days when we lived in Philly and South Jersey, and a hot and spicy bowl of chili would warm you from the inside out. So when my blog friends wanted to do a blog hop with Comfort Foods, this chili was the first thing I thought of.

Last Minute Chili

Now, I make my chili two ways – in a crock pot, and on the stove. This version is my Last Minute Chili – meaning I make it on the stove. I can whip up a batch in 20 minutes – much faster than my crock pot version, but essentially the same recipe.

I know that there are a million ways to make chili, but this recipe is super easy and not very spicy at all, which is how my family likes it. I think the first time I made chili, I used the recipe off the back of the can of beans. By now, I’ve got it down to this recipe – which I’ve tweaked to our liking.

RECIPE:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 cans kidney beans – I usually use one can each of both dark and light red kidney beans
• One large can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
• One can sweet kernel corn
• One small can of Tomato Paste
• Two small onions – chopped ( I use a food processor because I like them almost small enough to disappear in the sauce when it’s cooked.)
• Three cloves of garlic – chopped
• Two tablespoons butter – or oil
• One jalapeño pepper – seeds removed, sliced in half
• One tablespoon of chili powder
• Two tablespoons of garlic salt
• Garnish: shredded cheese, chives and sour cream

Directions:

1. Gather all ingredients.
   

   Chili Ingredients – oops, forgot garlic and corn in this shot!

2. Empty all canned ingredients and spices into large pot, turn on medium heat and stir.
   

   All canned ingredients

3. Chop onions and garlic, and sauté in butter until soft in large frying pan. Add to large pot.
4. Brown your ground beef (you can always use ground turkey) in the large frying pan – and when done, drain the fat and add to pot with veggies and beans.
5. Add jalapeño pepper to chili – I just cut it in half, take out the seeds and put it in like that. That way, it adds flavor without making it too spicy – and I can just pick it out when it’s done cooking. (note to self: do not rub eye after cutting pepper. ouch.)
   

   Halved jalapeño pepper

6. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low to medium heat.
7. Garnish with your choice of cheese (I use a four cheese Mexican blend), sour cream, chives, etc.
   

   Last Minute Chili

8. Enjoy!

I love this recipe because I always seem to have these ingredients on hand – I make sure to stock up on all the canned goods at the beginning of the school year. And, it’s gluten free – bonus!

Just in case you need a dessert to go with your chili that’s equally easy, check out my chocolate cake waffles!

Next on the blog hop is my friend, Sallie, at Texas Cottage. Head on over to check out her Chicken and Cornbread Dressing!

Texas Cottage – Chicken and Cornbread Stuffing

Doesn’t that look DELICIOUS?!

Be sure to visit the rest of my friends too!

• Major Hoff Takes a Wife – Garlic Bow-tie Pasta with Italian Sausage
• The Stonybrook House – Easy Pot Roast and Vegetables
• Kirb Appeal – Baked Apples
• Hymns and Verses – Baked Potato Soup
• All Things Beautiful – Chicken Pot Pie
• At Home on the Bay – Cheddar Jack Cheese Potato Casserole

Okay, now it’s your turn to share your favorite comfort food recipe!

If you are a blogger and have a great Fall recipe or one that says “Comfort” to you, then link it at our Party below.
1. Please link to your particular blog post, not your blog URL.
2. Please provide a link back here to my blog or one of the other hosts, in your post so that others can find our fun party.
3. Check out some of the other recipes linked up
4. Pin the party button and share the party with your friends
5. Link up only photos and projects that belong to you
(no shops, product review or giveaways please)
6. As always, pin from the original source.

*By linking up you are giving the 8 hosts permission to post or feature your photo and blog post on all of our social media outlets.