Now that it’s October, it’s a great time to start thinking about chili.

I previously posted my recipe for Quick and Easy Chili. That recipe is great for putting together a quick meal and using up ingredients in your fridge. When you are ready to roll up your sleeves and make a pot of chili with an amazing depth of flavor, I recommend the recipe for My Best Chili attached to this post and shown in this photo. This recipe combines traditional chili powder with an assortment of spices to create a chili that is tasty without too much salt or spice.

Necessity really is the mother of invention. I am picky about my ingredients, and I like shop for myself and choose my groceries. There came a time during Covid when there was a newborn in the family, and I used online shopping with curbside pick-up. One day I was planning to make the My Best Chili recipe. I ordered a three-pound pack of ground beef, and appareantly the store was out of three-pound packs, so they substituted a pack that was just over one pound. Now, by my math, the substitute for a three-pound pack is three one-pound packs rather than one, but it was what it was.

I had made this chili many times with the full three pounds of ground beef called for in the recipe. That day during Covid, I used the smaller pack and added more vegetables. I learned that the combination worked well. The beef added a beefy flavor, and the veggies added some additional flavor and nutrition. This option is shown in this photo and described in the recipe Notes.

The recipe Notes also describe the option to make a completely vegetarian/vegan chili. When you have guests with varied preferences, one easy solution is to make the My Best Chili without the beef. Then divide the chili into two pots. Add browned ground beef to one pot and veggies and additional beans to the other.

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My Best Chili

This recipe for chili combines traditional chili powder with an assortment of spices to create an amazing depth of flavor for a chili that is tasty without too much salt or spice. It's perfect when you want to serve warm comfort food on a cold day, or any time you want a make-ahead meal to serve at a party or other gathering.

Check out this recipe

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Quick and Easy Chili with Added Vegetables

This chili is surprisingly quick and easy to make and is versatile. The tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices create your blank canvas. You can discover your favorite combination of additions, or you can use up protein and vegetables in your fridge to create a delicious and nutritious chili.

Check out this recipe