any healthy chili recipes?

I am looking to make some chili to freeze some :) I do not have a lot of spices in my apartment so I woulld like a recipe with not a lot of ingredients.  I do have some black, white, and kidney beans already cooked that I wanted to include!

mix all of your beans together. add in a can of stewed tomatoes. some already have seasonings so that's pretty convenient. if you eat beef then brown the ground beef and add that in as well. chop up carrots, celery, bell peppers, and onion. let it all cook together with some chili powder, pepper, granulated or fresh garlic, and a bit of salt. you're good to go.

you could also use ground chicken, turkey, or sausage if you'd like. whatever you have on hand.

I have a simple recipe that I used over the year and its not hard.

Take all your beans throw it in a pot.

Add a can of diced stewed tomatoes (some already come with oregano, or garlic or spices).

Brown and add either ground beef, chicken, or turkey.

Add chili powder or dont add any until you reheat then add as much spice as you desire.  You can also dice up a couple of Jalapenos.

I have a healthier version which is the beans, low sodium diced tomatoes, and chili powder.  Thats it...

I let mine cook for an hour in a crock pot then let it sit a day then reheat again the next day and its perfect.

I love this one:

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-texas-w hite-chili-recipe-r213763

i forgot to add that i also do not have a crock pot :( is there anyway to cook these recipes in a regular pot?

Original Post by blondie80425:

i forgot to add that i also do not have a crock pot :( is there anyway to cook these recipes in a regular pot?

 Yes just toss them in a regular and warm them up.

And to develop better flavor, try sauteeing the meat, onion, peppers and garlic first in a little oil, then stir in the spices to release their flavor and then add your tomatoes, beans, broth, etc...

Chili is one of those things that tastes better the next day, as the flavors sort of meld with each other. And even if everything is already cooked, I'd let it simmer at least 45 minutes or so on the stove, for the same reason.

By the way, although dried ground spices get knocked for not being as flavorful as fresh and losing their flavor over time, I still get a lot of use out of mine (I have a huge inventory, as I like to cook and two past roommates have left me with all of theirs). I'd invest in a few versatile ones - chili powder, ground cumin and paprika are all good in chili, tacos, curries, salsa, dips (and so forth). Sweet spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger are useful for savory dishes and sweet dishes, and are all good in oatmeal. Those are the ones I'd start with, and from there, you can pick up other things as interest and finances allow. In addition to the main spice section in your grocery store, you can also often find cheaper spices in bags on the aisle with Latino foods, at least in many grocery stores. They're often just as good, and a LOT less expensive. Plus, instead of generic "chili powder," you often find chili powders that specify what chili was used, so you can pick something with a flavor and heat level you like.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! I compined all of the advice and my chili turned out amazing :) I even put in a few touches of my own :) hope everyone has a great sunday!

Being from Texas, and having raised my own cattle, I'm spoiled to "real" chili. Chili is a serious topic in Texas!  Here is my recipe - taken from a book about the cattle drives up the Chisholm trail.  The cooks used what they could carry in the wagons.  NO tomatoes!

• Good beef, cut into one-inch pieces (NOT ground beef!)
• Brown the beef in bacon drippings (OK, you can use Veg.oil  :(
• In another skillet saute chopped onion and chopped garlic; add to browned beef.
• left-over coffee from the pot (whatever is left)
• water to cover beef
• Mexican chili powder
• cumin
• peppers if you like it hot
• salt if needed, but taste first

All ingredients are added in amounts according to your taste.  I never actually measure them.

Simmer for several hours until beef is tender.  Add Masa to thicken sauce, if you like.  NO beans!  You can add beans to your bowl of chili but they are are cooked separately.  I have added a can of beer if I happen to have one, but that's not authentic. 

I got the following recipe while on Weight Watchers several years ago.  It's still my favorite.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Cooking-Light-Crock -Pot-Chili-137337

Try this quick chili

1 jar of salsa
1 can of beans, drained

Mix together and heat up.

You can also add peppers and onions, ground meat or anything you like.  The salsa provided all the seasoning you need. 

This is my favorite chili in the whole world.  The only thing I do differently is I only use two teaspoons of chili powder and no hot sauce; otherwise it's VERY, VERY spicy.  I also use 96% lean ground beef.  I'm definitely  NOT a cook, so if I can make it, ANYONE can.    And, it's only 290 calories for 1 2/3 cups, which is a pretty generous serving.  Not sure if it's too many spices for you, but it really is delicious.  After I make a batch, I freeze it in containers with the twist-on tops and freeze it.  If you decide to try it, I hope you like it.

http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?s=112832 99&clienttype=pri...