This chili recipe only costs $10. Adding sour cream, jalapeño peppers and cheese gives this dish a creamy kick. Photo by Isabell Moon
– Isabell Moon, Contributor
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This chili recipe is quick, easy and extremely affordable. You can buy all the ingredients for about $10. All you’ll need is a large pot with a lid and a cooking spoon. This chili is fairly low maintenance and is great for a beginner meal that isn’t pre-packaged (sorry, mac and cheese).
Total time: 45 min
Makes 4 – 5 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter (or oil for vegan recipe)
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can sweet yellow corn
- 1 can diced tomatoes + ½ can water
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- herbs and spices (optional)
Directions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, sauté garlic, onions and jalapeño in butter or oil.
- Once the onions start to become translucent, add all beans and corn. Stir and heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, water and spices. Simmer 20-25 minutes on medium-low heat with lid on, stirring occasionally until thickened.
- Serve hot with grated cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips or other toppings.
The jalapeño pepper is optional if you don’t like spicy foods. Alternatively, you can add a habanero to make your chili extra hot. If you’re living the dorm life and don’t have many spices, you can use a few spoonfuls of barbecue sauce. For spices, try using cumin, paprika and turmeric. If you like fresh tomatoes, you can swap the canned diced tomatoes for three to 4 tomatoes and 6 ounces can of tomato paste. To make vegan chili, just swap out butter for olive or vegetable oil.
To make this completely non-vegan, brown one pound of the ground meat of your choice, drain, then set aside in a bowl before sautéing the garlic and onions. Add back to the pot when adding the beans and corn.
For a more complete meal, serve over rice and add some greens, such as spinach.