Chili and Its Reincarnations

I had some ground pork defrosting in the fridge yesterday, so I mixed it with some ground beef and whipped up some chili (both packages of meat were bought on sale for around $1.99/lb.). It was going to get down into the teens overnight (yes, it even happens in Georgia!), so I was in the mood for something warm and comforting.

I browned up the meat and added onions and green bell peppers until softened. Once I drained the grease, I added two tablespoons of garlic, a can of red kidney beans, a can of diced tomatoes, a large can of tomato sauce and the following spices to taste (I rarely measure!): cinnamon (just a dash), cumin, basil, oregano, chili powder, S&P. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes while bread baked. I had wanted corn bread, but we were out of eggs and a trip to the store just wasn't worth it.

I made sure to make enough so that my husband and I would have plenty for dinner but also leftovers for other uses. Today for lunch, I baked a potato and topped it with chili, sour cream and cheese. Besides as a baked potato topping, chili is great these ways:
- On top of mashed potatoes and hash browns.
- As chili mac by placing it on pasta.
- You can always add a bit of water or stock to the leftover version to make it even more of a sauce consistency. Then it becomes even more like spaghetti sauce.
- Stuff it into bell peppers. You can add rice, too, if you like.
- There's always the chili dog option!