Fast, cheap and easy.
No, not me!
Well. Okay. I AM all of those things but for the purposes of THIS post– not me.
I’m talking about food. I’m talking about hot, filling comfort food. I’m talking about reaching a man through his belly.
And, I’m talking about a lazy slave who found a delicious shortcut and I aim to pass it on to you. :)
Maybe, on a cold and blustery Monday morning you look outside and see something like this:
Maybe you just want to sit on the couch, yank the pillow over your head and pretend you live in Hawaii.
Maybe you don’t WANT to have to go butcher the cow, shell the beans, knead the dough, churn the butter and puree the tomatoes.
Maybe you’re thinking PB&J for dinner sounds wonderful and then your Man calls and he’s working outside and he’s tired and cold and hungry and he says “What hot meal are you making for me tonight, slave?” and you have this rush of guilt and figure perhaps it’s time to take the pillow off your head.
But you’re no more motivated to butcher cows and shell beans.
So what do you do??
You cheat, that’s what. You cheat and you enjoy the fuck out of it because, as the title said, it’s fast, it’s cheap and *bonus!*, it’s easy.
It’s magic.
Chili magic, that is.
First, slave over that can opener opening all of them cans. It’s turrible hard work I tell you.
Dump the can contents into a pan. Preferably you’d empty them into your slow cooker so it has several hours to blend the flavors together, unless you’re like me and really took the whole couch/pillow/Hawaii fantasy to late afternoon. Oops.
So, dump the magic and the ‘maters together so they’ve got some time to blend and cook together. In the meantime, dice up your onion if you like them and toss that in with your ground beef.
If you like that raw onion taste, you could dump the onions in with your canned stuff, but I loathe raw onions so I cook them down.
Then drain it and dump that into your canned mess of magical goodness.
Stir it in and let it simmer for a bit. You really need to let the burger chunks soak up some chili-tomatoey sauce, let the tomato chunks soften, let the onions blend in- just let it simmer.
Add spices if you want. Master and I aren’t spicey kind of folks (except in the bedroom! Ha!) so I don’t add much more than salt and pepper, maybe a dash of chili powder.
If it were already in your slow cooker and you hadn’t spent the day having sex on the beach with Anakoni and his well-placed lei… *ahem*
Nevermind.
Next, (after you’ve washed your hands because Anakoni made you do filthy, filthy things to yourself), gather up some toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheese, Fritos(!), oyster crackers- whatever floats your little chili boat- and ladle it all up.
Then, slice up that $0.99 loaf of french bread that you got on the bakery clearance rack and slather it with butter.
Serve that hard-working man.
Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT call him Anakoni. Impressed as he may be with your chili magic, he won’t like it. Trust me.
All in all, for a couch potato, blustery fall day- fast, cheap and easy works out well. And, nobody has to know! Toss out those magic cans and everyone thinks you’re a chili goddess! I have no freakin’ clue how to make chili from scratch but Master takes this to work and, by God, they worship my mad kitchen skillz.
Cheating. It’s what’s for dinner.
;)
~cunt
Total cost for me (chili only, not including toppings) was well under $15.00, for enough chili to feed 5, plus Master’s lunch the next day, plus enough leftovers to toss in the freezer for chili-topped baked potatoes one day next week.
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Uncategorized | kaya | 
Wednesday October 14th, 2009 8:10am
Congrats on a great looking dinner! My old standby is to save all the little bits of leftovers (half a cup of green beans here, some corn there, small bits of meat, etc.) in a big bowl in the freezer. When it fills up and you don’t have time to cook, just dump it all in a pot and heat it up. Sounds yucky, but it is really yummy, like a stew with lots of different things in it.
Sometimes I add a can of tomatoes or broth or meat, whatever the leftover bowl was missing.
Everyone around here just loves it.
~junebug
That is a terrific idea! I am so stealing that.
I woke up to a Monday morning like that, but didn’t have the motivation to even pull off a chili. You rock! Way to turn the day around and come to terms with winter like weather. The snow around here is almost all gone. Hope your goes away fast, too!
love,
radha
[rq=887677,0,blog][/rq]Confession – LOL
Oh it’s gone already. Was gone that same day. I tell ya though, seeing it was… disheartening. I am not ready.
Kaya,
I looove Chili Magic! But I thought it was discontinued? I’ve checked every grocery store in the state (practically) and been told that it’s no longer being made. Wherever did you find it?
Kitten
[rq=887751,0,blog][/rq]Gratitude
Srsly? Why would they do that? Makes no sense to me.
I’ve never had any trouble finding it in stores. I get it at Wal-mart, I’ve gotten it at our little local grocery store, and actually you can still order it online by the case (I think. Don’t quote me on that.)
I’m gonna have to order me a bunch of it (or learn how to make chili. Dagnabbit).
I hate when something I like is ruined by the powers that be. Hmmph!
Maybe it’s just unavailable on the East Coast? I’m going to look into ordering a case though…it’s so easy and convenient.
By the way, that isn’t actually what you saw out your window Monday morning, right? There can’t already be snow where you are?!?
[rq=888908,0,blog][/rq]Gratitude
We HAD snow. It didn’t stick around for more than a couple of hours because the ground isn’t cold enough yet. But it totally snowed.
WAY too early in the year for winter. Bah.
OMG… I am sitting here in Florida sweating my butt off making Halloween costumes (don’t do it, go to Walmart, spend 20 bucks, don’t care that there are 70 other children running around in the same costume… trust me on this… ) and you guys had snow?!
Gotta tell ya though, as hot as I am right now, I still like the heat rather than the cold…
I like to visit snow… thats about it!
~twisted … who thinks it’s still too warm here for chili, but will remember this one…
Same problem here in the Buckeye state. Chili Magic has been off the shelves around here for more than a year. Talk about a pissed off woman.
I’ve been trying different beans and such and still haven’t found one that I like, no matter how much spices I add to it.
Looks good Kaya.
My fast, cheap, easy meal is potato, chickpea and spinach curry with rice.
Yum! I don’t know what spinach curry is but it sounds good. I like spinach.
Looks good kaya! But as a Texas, I feel it is my duty to tell ya that beans never, nevar! go in chili! Take out the beans, add hot corn bread and now yer talking! Still looks real good, though….The Prof
Bean-less chili? You’re off your rocker! Chili and beans are like.. like.. peanut butter and jelly! Potatoes and gravy! Ketchup and fries!
I am also a Texan and can vouch for this. You crazy-ass yankees. I was INCREDULOUS when I had my first non-Texan chili dog! Beans in chili. -hmp-
The consistency of what you made looks more soupy than chili….but it also looks like it might go well with rice…. -copies anyway you crazy lady-
But but but.. what do you put in it then!? I’m all a’flutter now! Bean-less chili! That’s crazy talk.
Meatmeatmeatmeatmeatmeat spice meatmeat and possibly some meat. Usually a couple of tomatoes and more spices. Grab a can of Wolf chili without beans and you’ll have a decent idea.
[rq=900074,0,blog][/rq]Honesty, promise me I’ll never find you fake it….
hmph. texans talk like anybody not texan is yankee. well, some of us don’t even consider texas SOUTHERN. it’s just… texas…
over there, by it’s lonesome. i put beans in MY chili and i ain’t a yankee, no how, no way. but i sure ain’t a texan either!
melly, of course we consider ourselves special…we use to be our own nation….besides, most of us have egos the size of Dallas anyway, lol…
Damn, need to proofread frist, Texan, not Texas….doh!
yup, kaya, chili purists insist that adding beans = blasphemy.
But I say, it’s your damn kitchen, you can do whatever you want. :P
Damn right! I like you. ;)
chili w/o beans is just the meat chunks with the seasonings, peppers, tomatoes etc. Look up Alton Brown’s (food network)recipe for pressure cooker chili, just to read. It’s not as ‘cheap, fast or easy’ as yours.
If you can’t find chili magic, you can use plain beans and get McCormick’s chili seasoning mix.
And Christmas bowls already???! I know I said it’s your kitchen and all…but…too early. ;)
Chili is always good… mmmmm.
I always make extra chili since it freezes well too.
If you like this kind of thing, green chile stew is also something similar. Pork, potatoes, onions and green chiles. Not spicy but comfort food.
Yum yum!
That sounds yum! So any sauce or.. ?
Homemade chili is almost as easy as your chili magic. Happy to share my recipe if you want it.
And I love that you have your Christmas bowls out already. 71 days!
Yes please. Apparently I’m on limited time with the chili magic since it’s been (being?) discontinued. Oh Bother.
But please? Can I have it?
I made tomato- and bell pepperless Chili Con Quorn the other night.
U takez:
A pound of quorn (or ground beef)
½ a cup of corn
1 cup of kidney beans
½ a cup of dry, brown rice
½ a cup of dry, red lentils
2tsp sambal oelek (ground chili)
1 cup of water
Salt, pepper if you like, and “stuff” if you have it (like half a wilting away in the fridge carrot or something)
Fry the quorn (and onion if you want it), add the water and sambal oelek, simmer for a bit with lid on. Add the rest. Simmer untill the rice is done, add more water if needed. It shouldn’t be wet, just like rice mixed with quorn and corn and beans and “stuff”.
Serve with nachos or tortillas, cheese and sourcream. It’s to be spooned onto your bread and eaten there.
*beams* I did that the other night and it gave me some 4 portions, at just under $10.
Oh. And preboiled-kidney beans of course. NOT dry ones.
Bread, like the french bread or corn bread or…?
And, god don’t laugh at me, but what are lentils. I know I know this. Honest. It’ll come to me as soon as you answer..lol
Tortillas? You know… Flat, round Mexican bread made out of wheat or corn flour? http://vittlesvamp.typepad.com/photos/blog/tortillas.jpg
Red lentils: http://comps.fotosearch.com/comp/PHD/PHD500/red-lentils-full_~AA051068.jpg
The whole meal is also very healthy: Low in fat, high in protein and rather low in calories. :D Preferably served with a large salad on the side, of course!
Lentils are good. They’re little flat oval things, a bit like a cross between peas and beans. They cook up faster than beans. I’ve got some good lentil recipes if you’re interested, otherwise, if you want to play with ingredients the food co-op in the big town has them, and you can basically just use them anywhere you’d use beans.
Theres a chili starter? who knew??? I start w/chopped green pepper, and onion, saute it w/butter. Once onions are clear, add about 1/4 cup of flour, stir to coat, add 1-2 cups of water, stir (thickness w/o lumps..except for the veggie lumps that is) then add the canned tomato’s, beans (we do vegetarian version), and usually 2 kinds of beans, white and black beans–nom nom–,then spices. So chili from scratch is not that much harder than…opening all those extra cans! OH and if I looked out the window and saw what you saw…OMG…I’d be hurling. *nods*…w-aaa-y to early for that here. I love snow…for about 5 weeks or so, Dec 21 to Feb 1 is my snow rule. Does ANYONE listen to me? naaaa! I’m so stealing your idea about being in Hawaii,and i promise not to steal your guy, lol, although I will peek at his lei….
Nilla, laughing
[rq=888944,0,blog][/rq]Camp Nekkink pt 5
But what spices? Thats where I get lost. I don’t know what spices taste like what and I really can’t stomach the idea of wasting the grocery budget on experiments, you know what I mean? Spices get me every time!
Go somewhere where you can smell them? That helps.
I have: Rosemary, thyme, basil , dill, oregano, and onionpowder at home. Salt and pepper (black and white) too. I’d like to have curry powder, chili powder, powdered bell pepper, cayunpepper, etc. at hand to, but I’m new to the spices thing and I tend to buy two new ones a month, after having found yummy-sounding recipes to use them in.
here ya go, kaya:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chili-Seasoning-Mix-II/Detail.aspx
I’m a total kitchen geek. If you ever end up in my kitchen, you can sniff/taste spices to your heart’s content. I bet I have sixty or seventy different herbs and spices.
Andrew
I bow to your mad Kitchen Goddess skillz
:D
While you’re down there…. *hands over the broom*
Hehe.
See, your way of explaining the delicate yet vitally important things such as not calling Master by any other name, such as Antonio the poolboy…or my newest lately, Kyle the young pizza delivery boy (hey–he’s over 18! Barely)is one reason why I dearly love to read anything you write. You just lay it out there and tell it like it is. Tee-hee. BTW-Great sounding chili.
[rq=889141,0,blog][/rq]LoveHoney BDSM “Toy” Review
Oh. And Juan, the UPS man.
*lust*
Oh yeah, Juan is hot…
Love it when he orders computer parts… :)
I WANNA JUAN!
[rq=902031,0,blog][/rq]LoveHoney BDSM “Toy” Review
What I wanna know is did you really serve him his dinner in the cute little christmas bowl??
Laughs
Of course I did! I love those bowls..lol. They’re deep and just perfect for stews and soups.
psst- I never pack them away. Shh!
I’m so making this, Kaya. I saved the whole thing in my recipe file, pics and funny asides and all!
Born and raised in CA and never heard of beanless chili until I was an adult and someone brought it to my attention. To me, “chili” means beans in it. That’s how my mom and my friend’s moms and everyone around me while growing up made it. Funny how regional recipes can be. :)
Did you save my Hawaiian beach sex god, too? ;)
(good to hear from you. I was starting to worry.)
YES I DID! hehehe…
Nummy! Down here in MN we’ve had that wonderful view, too. So for my hard workin man, I went the route of chicken dumplings… I think Chili will be for this weekend. Sending you warm thoughts (and wool socks!) Keep those wonderful tidbits coming!
Oh! Do you have a dumpling recipe to share? I used to make the ol’ bisquick dumplings and then the last time Master said something about “the dumplings my Mom use to make” and now… *sad sigh*.. now I cannot bring myself to make substandard Bisquick dumplings ever again.
Help!
We did chicken noodle soup last night – but dumplings (my cheating version) is pretty dang easy – but the refrigerated biscuits – and cut into quarters – drop them in just before serving. Soooo dang good
Wow hehe I feel really lazy now! That sort of meal would be acceptable for me to make and would get ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ of appreciation ha ha then again, I only cook maybe ahh… Twice a month…? Should get’a learning, be a better wifey sub and such.
This gets me oohs and ahhs..lol. That’s the point! It can be this incredibly easy and they love it. :)
Ahem to clarify the meal looks great *lol* simply noting that what for you is ‘fast cheap and easy’ is what ‘dedicated effort’ is for me in the kitchen ;)
Um…i’m SO making this…the pictures made me wanna eat my screen. LOL! >.<
for cheaper, buy two cans of dark red kidney beans, and two cans of plain diced tomatoes, and one package of chili seasoning… (except i use FOUR cans of beans, because i LIKE ‘em.
for chili enough to feed us and have leftovers, i use:
2 cans dark red kidney beans(.68 each)
2 cans dark red kidney beans (.68 each)
2 cans diced tomatoes (let’s say .75 each, even though i get them cheaper.)
1 pound hamburger(3.00)
one onion, chopped (.50)
one package chili seasoning (1.00- 1.50, depending. i use William Tex Mex.)
and my total comes to 9.22 plus tax. though i usually get all the canned stuff on sale for .50 a can, and buy meat on sale too, so that drops it to around 8 bucks.
i love chili. and spaghetti. both of them are so darned cheap it ridonkulous. :)
we’re having spaghetti tonight. (one pound meat, two cans diced tomatoes, one onion, one can tomato paste, one package spaghetti sauce seasoning, or just the herbs if you know which ones to use, that would be garlic powder, mixed italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, one can mushrooms. )
oh, and spices for chili? chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and a little oregano. (trust me on that one). if you like it hotter, add some cayenne.
you the bomb, honey!
I have bastardized a white chicken chili recipe so much that it doesn’t even have chicken in it anymore.
A few cans of diced tomatoes, white beans (and black beans, if ya want, ’cause I LOVE black beans), this awesome hot salsa I can only find at Save-A-Lot but is damn damn good, a few jars of baby food (whatever’s orange or green on hand, ’cause I have to sneak veggies into my mens), a bunch of veggie or beef broth…and spices. Slow cook. Ta-da, chili! The kid eats the hell out of it. The master, eh…he’s a weenie.
[rq=891634,0,blog][/rq]Public Post
If you want to try another White Chicken Chili recipe, this is one I got from my sister-in-law:
2 cans chicken breast (already diced/shredded)
2 cans Rotel (spiced diced tomatoes)
2 cans white beans (I usually use Great Northern)
1 block of pepperjack cheese
Basically just throw it all in the pot and heat it through. I generally cut the pepperjack cheese into chunks to ease the melting process. Tastes great, and it couldn’t be easier to make!
Oh! For cheapness – you can get dried beans and cook them in the slow cooker with just water. Overnight is how I do it. Then package it in freezer bags, lay ‘em flat so they don’t take much room. Then you can toss the bagful in when you need a can – cheaper, and less sodium.
[rq=891647,0,blog][/rq]Public Post
Just made my version this morning: 6lbs of meat, 4 cans Rotel tomatoes w/chiles, 2 cans of each kidney & black beans, Carrol Shelby Chili mix (4), 2 cans tomato sauce and dried Chipotle chilis if you like it spicy.
Yes, I know it’s a lot of food but I freeze some for cold days and I have to hand out packs to my family cause everyone always asks.If freeze it ahead time in smaller serving, then you can micro it for Master
Psssssssssst.
Tess.
Are there little adorably-chubby people running around on your backsplash?
Holy shitting hell, that is amazing.
~Chloe, clearly the ONLY person paying attention.
[rq=892138,0,blog][/rq]Calling all Lurkers and Lurkettes!
Kaya,
One thing beanless chili is good for is low carb, since most of the carbs in chili is the beans themselves (once you have diabetes, you learn all about carbs).
Of course, I prefer a much thicker chili, since my favorite way to consume chili is a chili dog. And it’s not a proper chili dog unless you can pick it up and eat it like a real hot dog.
You got snow! WE’re possibly getting a record setting early snow next week out here. I’m so not ready.
Dave
We up the beans and decrease the meat in our chili since heart disease is the threat here (bean are are high in fiber and a complex carb, so a good carb). The saying I always heard was “if you knew beans about chili, you wouldn’t make chili with beans”. Still makes me smile every time I make chili – all my chili’s have beans.
Hunt’s Chili Fixins and Ro-tel Chili Fixins are two brands I use for chili starters. Walmart also makes on offbrand of Ro-tel for super cheap goodness. You add beans to these instead of adding tomatoes. I use ‘em to make Pork and Bean Chili. Cheap, fast,easy chili is the best way to home make meals.
Nom! I make a vegetarian version of this for a quick meal… just add veggies and soy crumble. Or if I have a bit more time, I make a thicker version of this, make some mashed cauliflower and bake it like a shepherd’s pie. So good!
[rq=894055,0,blog][/rq]Lion Man
I am insanely jealous of this entry ~ now I’m going to associate chili with sex on the beach! :) If only my cooking blog weren’t so “family friendly”… hehehe
Loved this….
I never even knew they had chili magic! I used to make it with like a mcormick package of chili seasoning -long long time ago. But now I useadd chili powder, oregano, cumin and garlic powder if I don’t actually add minced garlic. But now that I am Penzeys Spice slut – I really want to try their Chili 3000 spice mix. It smelled SO SO GOOD! (link to chili 3000 – has the list of what is in it -http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyschili3000.html)
[rq=902367,0,blog][/rq]Giveaway on Domestic Servitude
Down here in Alabama, chili has beans in it.
I buy a little packet of Caroll Shelby chili mix from walmart (its a small brown paper bag). It has directions on the back. Just brown some beef with onion, add the spice packet and a can of chopped tomatoes, a can of tomatoe sauce, and dark red kidney beans. Simmer.
I do a cheater Chicken n’ Dumplins recipe (sorry, not mom’s dumplins)
In crockpot:
2 or 3 chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
(or 1 can crm chicken, 1 crm mushroom)
one onion (I drop it in peeled but whole)
1 tbsp butter
I add some spices: I just do salt,
pepper, cumin, garlic powder.
Cook on high maybe 5 hours.
An hour or so before serving: Pull out chicken and shred. Pull out onion and chop up. Add them back in.
Tear up canned biscuits (I do one can) and drop in. I would double everything though for a largish family.
Another yummy soup:
Pound ground beef browned
Pound sausage, sliced fairly thin (I use thick conecuh)sauteed with a chopped/sliced onion.
Throw in a large pot or crockpot with a can of chopped tomatoes, can of black beans, can of mixed veggies, can of green beans, and 2 cans of spicy V8 juice. Maybe a can of corn if it seems like it needs it.
So how is it as far as flavor compared to chili from scratch? Cause I would kill to find a quicker way to make chili. Course… I also plan to do lots o’ slow cooker cooking this year since we really didn’t have the money last year. So keep your eyes peeled for recipes!
[rq=922815,0,blog][/rq]I’m still here! Look what we got!