Five-Bean Pantry Chili

The weather's cooling off, and it's time for chili!  I've tried a lot of chili recipes, and this is the one I've come up with - some Tex-Mex heat, some Cincinnati cinnamon, and lots of tomatoes, beans, and chili powder, all from the pantry.

This makes a lot because I believe in planned leftovers (less cooking that way).   You can use the leftovers in place of the meat filling in my Mom's tamale bake.

You can serve this with cornbread, saltine crackers, cooked macaroni, cheese, or sour cream, or leave it nekkid!


Five-Bean Chili

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans chili-ready diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilis
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel (hot)
1/2 c dark chili powder
1/4 c sugar
1 T hot sauce, or to taste
1 T cinnamon
1 t cumin
1 t salt
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

In an 8-quart stockpot, brown and break up the ground beef and onion.  Add all tomatoes and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.

Add beans and return to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Tamale Bake (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

This is another childhood favorite I resurrected last year.  Some people call it Tamale Pie.  To-may-to to-mah-to; po-tay-to po-tah-to.  Whatever you call it, casseroles from the 1960s are making a comeback at our house.



Tamale Bake

1 lb ground beef
1 c chopped onion
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 15-oz can chili ready tomatoes
1 15-oz can whole kernel sweet corn
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 T canola oil

Brown ground beef and onion.  Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, and beans and heat to a boil.  Pour the mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together, then spoon over the meat mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.


I will often substitute leftover chili for the meat mixture.  When I make chili, it's a HUGE pot, so there's always plenty left over, and this is one way to use it up.