Chili
Winter is coming and with that cooler weather. Fend off the cold with a warm, healthy, and cheap dish. The best part about chili is you can really make it your own.
What You'll Need
1 C dry red beans
1 C dry pinto beans
1 C dry black beans
7 Tomatoes or 2-3 cans diced tomatoes (Preferably reduced salt)
2 Onions
Lots of Chili Powder
Garlic (Fresh or powdered)
Meat (Optional)
I try to avoid adding salt to anything and try to buy ingredients with the least amount of salt as well. Salt causes bloating and in general isn't great for your body. Some salt is necessary, but everything now has so much salt that anytime we can cut back on that it's good.
I used all dried beans because they are ridiculously cheaper than buying canned beans and again it reduces salt intake. You also lose all those preservatives that come with the canned beans. Lots of people avoid dry beans because it can take a lot longer to cook. You can either soak them overnight or do a quick soak which takes about an hour. If you are sensitive to lectins, be sure to use a pressure cooker for the beans. Then I throw all my ingredients in the crock pot. After that it's just set it and forget it. Well try not to forget forever or you won't be able to eat. Make sure there is adequate water for the beans. I also make this one weekends and freeze it for the week. That way I can cook the beans separately while I'm cleaning the house or doing my workout. One thing to note is that you can use any kind of beans, there isn't a science to chili. I used to always buy canned chili beans because I thought they were special somehow. They are not. I didn't realize they are just pinto beans with chili powder and garlic mixed in. Much cheaper to make this concoction at home.
I used fresh tomatoes this time around because I had a bunch left over from the garden that needed to be used up. I also didn't have garlic so I threw in some sort of grilling seasoning. Meat can add a lot of flavor so if you have some on hand or want the extra flavor throw it in. I would only add about a pound to this recipe unless you like really meaty chili. I haven't been eating much meat lately as I don't currently have a freezer and have been cooking for one. Meat doesn't hold up too long in the fridge.
Overall, super easy to make, tastes delicious, warms you up now that it's getting cold out, and best of all it is SUPER CHEAP!! Make this dish even more budget friendly by buying larger bags of beans (12lb/$7.50=$0.63/lb). This will cut your cost by a little more than 25%!
Red Beans: $1.78/lb ~ $0.89
Black Beans: $1.78/lb ~ $0.89
Pinto Beans: $1.78/lb ~ $0.89
Onion: $3.97/5lb ~ $0.58
Tomatoes: $0.68/can ~ 2.04
Total: $5.28
Total/Serving: $0.53
1 C dry red beans
1 C dry pinto beans
1 C dry black beans
7 Tomatoes or 2-3 cans diced tomatoes (Preferably reduced salt)
2 Onions
Lots of Chili Powder
Garlic (Fresh or powdered)
Meat (Optional)
I try to avoid adding salt to anything and try to buy ingredients with the least amount of salt as well. Salt causes bloating and in general isn't great for your body. Some salt is necessary, but everything now has so much salt that anytime we can cut back on that it's good.
I used all dried beans because they are ridiculously cheaper than buying canned beans and again it reduces salt intake. You also lose all those preservatives that come with the canned beans. Lots of people avoid dry beans because it can take a lot longer to cook. You can either soak them overnight or do a quick soak which takes about an hour. If you are sensitive to lectins, be sure to use a pressure cooker for the beans. Then I throw all my ingredients in the crock pot. After that it's just set it and forget it. Well try not to forget forever or you won't be able to eat. Make sure there is adequate water for the beans. I also make this one weekends and freeze it for the week. That way I can cook the beans separately while I'm cleaning the house or doing my workout. One thing to note is that you can use any kind of beans, there isn't a science to chili. I used to always buy canned chili beans because I thought they were special somehow. They are not. I didn't realize they are just pinto beans with chili powder and garlic mixed in. Much cheaper to make this concoction at home.
I used fresh tomatoes this time around because I had a bunch left over from the garden that needed to be used up. I also didn't have garlic so I threw in some sort of grilling seasoning. Meat can add a lot of flavor so if you have some on hand or want the extra flavor throw it in. I would only add about a pound to this recipe unless you like really meaty chili. I haven't been eating much meat lately as I don't currently have a freezer and have been cooking for one. Meat doesn't hold up too long in the fridge.
Overall, super easy to make, tastes delicious, warms you up now that it's getting cold out, and best of all it is SUPER CHEAP!! Make this dish even more budget friendly by buying larger bags of beans (12lb/$7.50=$0.63/lb). This will cut your cost by a little more than 25%!
Red Beans: $1.78/lb ~ $0.89
Black Beans: $1.78/lb ~ $0.89
Pinto Beans: $1.78/lb ~ $0.89
Onion: $3.97/5lb ~ $0.58
Tomatoes: $0.68/can ~ 2.04
Total: $5.28
Total/Serving: $0.53
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