Day 15 of Project 365

Chili Friday!

This morning I made our family's favorite chili recipe to take in to my husband's office for lunch today. In case this picture makes you hungry for chili, I'll post the recipe as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic gloves, minced
1 28 oz can canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoon finely chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 19 oz can pinto beans

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon until the meat browns. Add the green pepper, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, 3 - 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, jalepeno peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt, and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occassionally, about 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

I like to serve the chili with shredded cheese sprinkled on top and a side of cornbread muffins. The cornbread muffins are just a regular corn bread recipe (okay, I actually don't make these from scratch, I buy the Jiffy corn muffin mix) baked in lined muffin trays so each serving is easy to grab and less messy  than making an actual pan of cornbread.

The recipe is made to serve six, but I guess our family eats big servings or something because it feels more like a good amount for 4. I usually double the recipe whenever I make it. And don't worry if you have left overs; this is one of those recipes that actually gets better the next day! If you like it spicier you can always add more chili powder, extra jalapenos, or anything else you might like. Happy "Chili Friday" everyone!