Thursday, December 1, 2022

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!

13 comments:

  1. That DOES look like a lot of chopping, Colleen. Good job!
    I had to smile because without beans this chili looks...exactly like the Sausage/Hamburg Veggie Soup I made this week. Onion, celery, carrot, hamburger, tons of zucchini and tomatoes + a bit of sausage and a bit of hamburger. Yum. I also love how dishes like this freeze well, too.
    I work from home so eat whatever's in the fridge, but I also make a big pot of soup/chili on Sunday and we eat that Monday and Tuesday night for supper. If anything is left after that, I usually freeze it. Every month or so I'll defrost a hodgepodge of different soups and people can pick and choose what they want!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like your recipe would be so good too, I just love a hearty soup and can eat it every single day.

      Delete
  2. Do your kids like soups/chilis? I know this is for you and Phil for lunch but I am just curious. I personally, wouldn't be able to eat the same thing all week which is definitely on me. But my kids just don't really like soup/chili. I can maybe get them to eat one every once in a while. But all the time you post these soups and it makes my heart want it!!

    And yes, tons of chopping! I am impressed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My kids wouldn't touch this, well maybe the older ones would try. We have a handful of soup recipes that the kids will eat...I should try to do a roundup of those in another post soon!

      Delete
  3. "Not the greatest wife in a lot of ways..." Never have I ever thought that!!!!! Working a full time job and still making homemade dinners and lunches for the week is just the tip of the iceberg. Like many moms, most of what you do will go unnoticed but I would never make it without you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awwwwww.. such a sweet comment from your husband. I think you and Phil make the perfect team. You compliment each other perfectly. God knew what he was doing when he picked you for each other!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Beth, it's such a blessing to have a happy marriage :)

      Delete
  5. I am in awe. FOR YEARS you say? This is incredible. It looks like a LOT of work. I'm feeling like I have let Coach down. ;) He is stuck bringing his sandwich and fruit every day.

    I make a chili recipe that we love, but this looks like something we would enjoy. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's only an hour's worth of work on a Sunday and then no work for the rest of the week! Plus we don't like sandwiches very much :)

      Delete
  6. You are a wonderful wife; tell Phil I said so! This is a great idea for a healthy lunch. I did notice all the chopping and I love that you use so many veggies.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooh, this looks delicious! I also have to ask, do all those bananas get eaten before they go brown? :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Almost always! And if not, banana muffins are on the menu :)

      Delete

Talk to me...