Homemade Chili from Scratch
My aunt loved to cook. Often when we were together, we would share recipes or talk about new ones we had found. She was one of those old fashioned cooks who made everything from scratch. When I think about it, I don’t know if I ever saw her prepare anything from a box. She had a garden, and she canned and froze the produce from it.
Her cooking was simple, though, without a lot of ingredients that would be hard to find.
One day I told her that I didn’t care much for chili because it was too spicy for me. She said that I should try her recipe, because it wasn’t spicy at all. So for you readers that do not like spicy foods, here is a version of chili that you may enjoy. I think the easiest way to make this is in a Dutch oven, because you can brown the meat in it first, and then add the other ingredients to cook longer.
Homemade Chili
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1/2 onion (chopped (more or less to suit your taste))
- Cooking oil
- 1/2 can tomato soup
- 1 pint tomato juice
- 1/4 cup sugar (either granulated or brown)
- 1 can of kidney beans
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
Brown the ground beef and onions together in a small amount of oil in a dutch oven. Add 1/2 can of tomato soup, 1 pint tomato juice, and a little water.
Stir in 1/4 cup of sugar or brown sugar, whichever you prefer. Add salt and pepper to your personal taste.
Bring all of this to a boil, stirring frequently. Then turn burner to low, cover, and simmer for about an hour. Check frequently to see if it needs stirred, and to prevent burning. Twenty minutes or so before it is done, add 1 can of kidney beans.
You could make a nice winter meal by adding some baked corn bread or corn muffins, and a serving of applesauce.
For ideas and tips on homemaking, cooking, crafts, family life, gardening, family history, and a touch of the past, visit http://www.oldfashionedhomemaking.com.
Photo. Carstor
