One of my favorite ways to get the most mileage out of ground beef is to make a pot of this easy beef chili. This serves 4-6 heartily, but you can extend this out to 8-10 people with a pot of white rice and fix-ins like corn chips, shredded lettuce, salsa, and cheese. I recommend measuring out your spices first because once you start browning the beef, the steps progress quickly.
Want another spin on chili? Try my easy turkey chili. Looking for other ideas to use up your ground beef? Try my easy tex-mex meatballs or weekday bolognese.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
Optional ingredients
1/8 tsp dried chipotle chili powder
2 tbsp cornmeal, white or yellow
15-oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed), fire-roasted corn (drained), and/or diced tomatoes with chiles
Preparation
Start by chopping the garlic, then measure the spices and salt into a small bowl and set aside.
Next, place a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot add the beef and garlic. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, then drain off any excess fat. Next, pour in the tomato sauce, spices, and salt. Stir together well, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add in 2 tbsp of cornmeal, if using, along with a 1/4 cup of water and stir. From here you can add in any other additional ingredients; I added a can of black beans, a can of fire-roasted corn, and a can of diced tomatoes with chiles. Place the lid back on the pot and allow the chili to heat through until bubbling, 5-10 minutes.
Serve with any fix-ins you’d like, including shredded lettuce, salsa, corn chips, chopped onion, and corn chips. (On this night I served this easy beef chili with leftover cornbread and salsa.)
ENJOY!