If You Give a Kid a Cooking Pot: Easy Two Bean Chili

Over the next several weeks, we'll be bringing you recipes for beginning cooks designed to teach basic cooking skills. So be on the lookout for all the recipes in the series. Today's recipe is part of the Cooking Challenge series.

A package of chili seasoning is the secret to making this one pot meal simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner. With just 15 minutes of prep time, you'll get this quick and easy Two Bean Chili recipe on the table in no time. 

Serve this chili over pasta or with garnishes such as shredded cheese, fresh green onions, and sour cream.

Easy Two Bean Chili

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

2 15.5 oz cans Mixed Chili Beans (Kidney & Pinto), undrained

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

15 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 package original chili seasoning

1/2 tsp cumin

1. Chop bell pepper and onion and set aside.
2. In a large pot, brown the ground beef over medium high heat.
3. Add chopped bell pepper and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain excess grease (if necessary).
4. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.

You Can Get with This or You Can Get with That (Recipe Substitutions):

• Reduce sodium by choosing a low-sodium chili seasoning.
• Substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for the ground beef.
• If Mixed Chili Beans are not available, use your favorite type of beans instead. They will not have spices incorporated into the sauce, so you may want to add more cumin to compensate.

This Is How We Do It (Kitchen Skills You'll Learn in This Recipe):

• Boiling vs. simmering
• Browning ground meat
• Chopping vegetables
• Measuring ingredients
• Reading and following a recipe
• Setting a timer

Mama Said Knock You Out (Prep Ahead for Easy Dinners):

If you have leftover chili you want to freeze, put the chili into individual airtight containers. It will keep well for up to three months.

When you are ready to serve, take the container out of the freezer and let it thaw. Reheat in the microwave.

If You Give a Kid a Cooking Challenge

This recipe is part of the three-part If You Give a Kid a Cooking Challenge recipe series. These recipes are designed to: 

• be easier to make
• have a minimal number of ingredients (minus pantry staples like oil and spices)
• be quick to prep 
• make enough for one person to have leftovers for a few days