Easy, classic homemade chili worthy to win that chili contest AND please the picky palates at your dinner table! Comes together so quickly during this busy season.

Close up overhead shot above chili in white bowl with toppings and a spoon.

‘Tis the season to make/eat chili! I’ve made a few chili variations in my day. Chili is one of my son’s [few] favorite foods and so I’ve experimented to get it right. He recently gave me his seal of approval for this recipe and even asked for some after school the next day.

Said child is a carb LOVER. And while there are healthy complex carbohydrates from the kidney beans, this recipe also provides a hearty supply of protein from beans, chicken sausage and lean ground beef or turkey.

Ingredients for chili in small bowls, onion, red peppers.

Close side view of chili with toppings of cheese and onion.

I love sausage mixed with ground beef in my chili and Bolognese sauce, but I wanted to healthify this a bit, so I used ground Italian chicken sausage. This brought down the total calories and total/saturated fat content of the chili. I stuck with ground beef because I like the taste better. If you compare 93% lean ground beef to 93% ground turkey side by side, you will see that they are virtually the same in their calorie, fat, and protein profiles.

Close up of chili on a spoon with toppings of cheese and onions.

Our favorite chili toppings:

Cheese
Sour cream
Tortilla strips (or the remnants of a bag of tortilla chips too small to dip but still looking to serve a purpose in life are always perfect to top soups and salads with!)
Onions

Our favorite chili sides:

Saltine crackers
Corn bread
Baked potatoes
Baked Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 16 cups

Easy Classic Chili

Name: Easy Classic Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 1# Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage; 1# 90% lean ground beef or lean turkey; 1.5 cups diced yellow onion; 2 tsp minced garlic; 3 cups tomato juice; 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste; 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce; 1 (15.5 oz) can petite diced tomato; ½ cup chopped red bell pepper; 2 Tbsp chili powder (add 1-2 Tbsp more for extra kick); 2 (15.5 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp black pepper

Easy, classic homemade chili worthy to win that chili contest AND please the picky palates at your dinner table! Comes together so quickly during this busy season.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1# Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
1# 90% lean ground beef or lean turkey
1.5 cups diced yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
3 cups tomato juice
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15.5 oz) can petite diced tomato
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbsp chili powder (add 1-2 Tbsp more for extra kick)
2 (15.5 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

In large pot, brown chicken sausage, ground beef or ground turkey with onion and garlic. Crumble meat while cooking. Drain excess fat. Hold to side.
Add tomato juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and pepper to pot. Whisk together until smooth. Add browned meat and remaining ingredients.
Simmer for 1 hr.
Enjoy with or without cheese, onions, tortilla strips, sour cream.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 660mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 5gProtein: 16g