Extended Chili

Nothing beats a warm bowl of chili on a cold day. This recipe is hearty and quick to put together, and made extra affordable by the addition of lentils. These absorb the flavour of the beef and double the meatiness of the recipe, without doubling the price.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  
• 1 lb (500 grams) ground beef
  
  
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced, or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
  
  
• 2 1/2 tablspoons chilli powder
  
  
• 2 tablespoons cumin (optional)
  
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  
  
• pinch salt and pepper
  
  
• 1 540 mL can tomato sauce
  
  
•  1 cup of dried green or brown lentils, cooked, or 1 540 mL can
  
  
• optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro

1. Add olive oil to a large pot, and warm up on medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for around 5 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent.
   
   
2. Add ground beef to the pot, and break up. Cook until beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
   
   
3. Add spices, and stir to combine.
   
   
4. Add tomato sauce and lentils. Bring the pot to a boil, and reduce the heat to simmer for 45-60 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally.
   
   
5. Remove from heat and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with optional toppings.

• This recipe can be made in the slow cooker. Just follow steps 1 and 2 of the directions, sauteeing the onions and browning the beef in a skillet on the stove. Then add them, and the rest of your ingredients to the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.
  
  
• If using dried green or brown lentils, cook ahead of time by covering with water and boiling on the stove until tender. Green or brown lentils have a texture very similar to ground beef, and need to be cooked for around 20-25 minutes.
  
  
• You can use red lentils too, but they're much softer and will melt into the sauce instead of holding together and mimicking the meat. They only need to be cooked for 8-10 minutes.
  
  
• If using canned lentils, just open the can and rinse before adding to the chili.

Chili is a kitchen sink recipe; you can play around with the spices, and throw in whatever you have on hand.

• Use diced tomatos instead of tomato sauce
  
  
• Add diced or grated veggies like peppers, mushrooms, or carrot along with the tomato sauce. Stir in frozen corn near the end, when the chilli has almost finished cooking
  
  
• Make the recipe heftier by adding a can of kidney beans

• Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days
  
  
• Chili freezes very well; spoon into single serving containers and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, defrost in the fridge or microwave before reheating.

Recipe adapted from the Dietitians of Canada

Food is Too Expensive! was funded by the City of Saskatoon through our Healthy Yards partnership, the Cyril Capling Trust Fund of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, and the Department of Plant Sciences. Focus group research to inform this work was collected by CHEP. Thank you all for helping us make healthy food more accessible!