Chili

Chili is an easy meal that you can make with just one (for gluten-free) or two pots (regular pasta). I will describe both methods. It's great for fall and winter, but I make it year round. From start to finish, you can have a batch ready in about 30 minutes. You can cut the recipe in half if you like..

​Servings	Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
8-10	5	25	30

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lean beef

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 * 16 oz. cans Bush's Red Beans in mild chili sauce

• 4 * 14.5 oz. cans Red Gold Chili Ready Diced Tomatoes

• 1 packages Brooks Original Chili Seasoning

• 1 packages Brooks Mild Chili Seasoning

• 2 tbsp cumin (or alter amount to taste)

• 1 tbsp Mexene chili powder (or alter amount to taste)

• Water or 2-4 32 oz. boxes of GF beef broth

• 1 12 oz. package gluten-free Barilla elbows or spaghetti

• Garnishes

  • Shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Colby jack, or your choice)

  • Light Sour Cream

  • Diced green onions

  • Fritos

Directions

1. Brown beef with onion breaking up beef well. (Drain fat if necessary.)
   

2. Add diced tomatoes, chili beans, seasoning packets, and other spices. Stir well and bring to a boil.
   

3. If using GF Barilla pasta, you can add uncooked pasta at this point and reduce heat just a little. Keep at almost a boil for cook time on pasta package, then reduce heat to low.
   

4. If using regular pasta, reduce heat to a simmer as soon as it reaching boiling point and add prepared regular pasta (prepare pasta in a separate pot).
   

5. Serve with your choice of garnishes.
   

Notes

• I used to use Brooks Chili beans before Celiacs, but the Brooks Chili beans are not gluten-free. Brooks Chili seasoning mix is, however, gluten-free. Always double-check and feel free to use any gluten-free alternative you prefer.

• If you use 92-96% lean beef (and even often 90%), you should not need to drain the fat. Anything lower than 90% lean will require draining fat.

• I usually use water, rather than beef broth.

• Be careful not to simmer with pasta in the chili for too long as it will over absorb the liquid in the chili.

• You can always choose to prepare the pasta in a separate box. I suggest only cooking to al dente because it will continue to cook in the chili.

• While you can cook regular, non GF pasta in chili, the chili tends to get too starchy. This can even happen with GF pasta, but the cook times tend to be less and it tends to work better for me and reduces the number of pots to clean.

• You can also serve GF saltines with butter with the chili as Grandpa Jim always loved.