Chili - Willy Nilly

 For years now, I have been making a big pot of soup on Sundays and then portioning it into ten glass containers so that Phil and I have a grab-and-go lunch to take to work Mon-Fri.  I'm not the greatest wife in a lot of ways (Can you just hear Phil nodding vigorously??) but doing this simple task is an easy way to feel like a wifey superstar.  One of my go-to soups is a chili because I can use tons of veggies and some protein (leftovers can sneak in here easily) and as long as you season it correctly, it's a delicious and nutritious meal.  Here's the version I made this week.

If you think "Colleen, that's a lot of chopping!" I say "Thank you for noticing!"

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 TBS olive oil

3 zucchinis, chopped

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 big (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

3 TBS minced garlic

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes - as much heat as you can stand)

Salt + Pepper to taste

Directions:

In instant pot sauté ground beef until no longer pink.  Remove from instant pot.  Add 1 TBSP olive oil and then all veggies.  Sauté for about 10 minutes.  Add back in cooked beef, cans of tomatoes and garlic/spices.  Set for stew setting for 40 minutes.  When finished cooking, release steam and let cool before portioning into individual bowls.

Easy peasy!

Note: You can make this in a crockpot or stovetop as well.  We don't use beans because Phil doesn't like them, but go ahead and add them if you prefer.  Ground chicken or turkey would work well in place of the beef also.  Add or subtract veggies to your preferences, throw in leftovers, whatever you want, it's Chili - Willy Nilly!