(Almost) Completely Pantry Chili

This recipe was requested by friends last Monday after our annual pumpkin-carving contest. Due to the soccer game of kid 1, I was unable to carve pumpkins this time. 🙁 However, I did have my husband take my crock pot of Chili over to the party before I had to run off for the game. By the time I got back, the chili was gone and there were several people asking how it was made. All of the ingredients I used were pulled from my pantry, with the exception of the ground beef.

Chipotle Chili

  • 3  15 oz.cans diced tomatoes, roasted garlic & onion flavored
  • 3  15 oz. cans kidney beans with liquid
  • 2  13 oz. cans cooked chicken
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 package taco seasoning, mild
  • 1/4 c. dried minced onion
  • 1/4 c. freeze-dried chopped green pepper (I buy this in the food storage section and it is a lifesaver. Alternately you could use 1/2 a fresh green pepper, chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried, ground chipotle pepper
  • 2–4 cubes chicken bouillon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • water as desired to thin the soup a little. I used about 15 oz.

Brown the ground beef in a large stockpot with all of your ground spices.** (If you buy ground beef with a high fat content, you’ll want to drain off the fat before you add the spices.) Add remaining ingredients (including water, as desired) and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. I put mine in a crock pot on low for a few hours so that the flavors blend.

** If you are using fresh onion and/or green pepper, you will want to add these to the ground beef and sauté them all together.

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