Chili Macaroni

Hello March! And the springtime weather that it brings!

Mind you, March is famous around here for its freak snowstorms and unpredictable temps, but for the most part, it’s just a glorious mess of daytime thawing and nighttime freezing 🙂

But before we bid farewell (and good riddance!) to winter, here is a tasty, hearty, and slightly different chili to keep you warm.

Chili Macaroni

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1, 14oz. can tomato sauce
1, 19oz. can red kidney beans
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups whole corn, fresh or frozen
3 cups cooked macaroni

METHOD:
In a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium high heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain, return to heat and add onion, celery, green pepper, tomato sauce, beans and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in corn and macaroni, heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serves 8 to 10.

Nutritional Information
Calories (per 1/10 recipe): 400
Fat: 4.5g
– Saturated Fat: 1.6g
Sodium: 380mg
Carbohydrates: 62g
– Fibre: 11g
– Sugars: 5.5g
Protein: 30g

Chili

This chili was my mother’s signature recipe and is, hands down, the best I have ever tasted. I could probably live on it for a month straight without tiring of it, or until cravings for pizza – my all-time favourite food – became intolerable!

The only thing about this recipe that I am not at all fond of is the use of canned food. However, it can be made healthier by using organic beans and tomatoes. But then, let’s face facts, ALL of the ingredients should be organic, that is, if you can afford the outrageous prices.

Aside from all the chopping involved (which can easily be done the night before to save on time) this recipe is very simple to cook up and yields a boatload! We enjoy this chili as is with a dinner roll on the side, or better still, as the most amazing taco filling EVER!
INGREDIENTS:
4 LB extra lean ground beef
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
4-6 Jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1, 28 oz can crushed, or diced, tomatoes
2, 12 oz. cans kidney beans
2, 12 oz. cans beans in tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 ½ Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. paprika
1 pkg. chili seasoning (or mix up your own)
Salt & pepper to taste
2, 10 oz cans condensed tomato soup

METHOD:
In a large stockpot, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add peppers, celery, and onions; simmer 15-20 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, beans and seasoning; simmer 1 hour. Add tomato soup approximately 15 minutes before removing from heat. Freezes very well.