06/02/08

Famine Chili

This is another one I grew up with.  I started calling it “famine chili” in college.  That’s where I realized that it costs practically nothing to make, but can feed you straight through those last 2 weeks before payday every month.  Most people have a supply of minced onions, chili powder, salt and pepper on hand, so all you really have to scrape together money for are the ground beef and tomato juice (and beans if you like them).

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 TBSP dried minced onions)
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
2 TBSP chili powder
½ TBSP salt
Dash of pepper
Kidney beans (*I don’t like beans, so I omit this)
1 large can of tomato juice

Brown meat with the onion and garlic.  Pour off grease.  Add the other ingredients and simmer on low heat for several hours. 

When you’re poor, you don’t add toppings, but Fritos, cheese, and green onions make great toppings. 

*The only good beans are coffee beans, cocoa beans and jelly beans.  That’s my wisdom for the day.

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