No-recipe easy chili

Chili is perfect cold-weather food and as easy to make as Whatever-You-Have Soup. All you really need to make it is meat, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, and chili seasoning.

If you don't have a packet of chili seasoning, making your own is very easy. I did it awhile back, looked up some recipes online and adapted it to my tastes and it has lasted a long time. There are a variety of recipes if you Google it.  Most are some combination of garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, and possibly pepper flakes, basil, oregano, sugar. Just depends which recipe you choose or which few you pull from to invent your own.

This was the chili we had last night. I browned a pound of deer along with soy sauce, Worcestershire, Head Country seasoning and liquid smoke.

 

Then quick-soaked and cooked some pinto beans: 

Then added 2 cans of tomato sauce and one can of diced tomatoes, a cup or two of water, and a few cut up little onions. 

As much chili seasoning as I wanted, a bit more chili powder and pepper and Head Country and let it simmer: 

Other items you could add if you have them around: hominy, green chilies, corn, bell peppers of any color, garlic, sun-dried tomato, mushrooms, rice, jalapenos, canned chicken, bacon, carrots. I'll bet new potatoes would be interesting in there. And toppings are just as varied: avocado, cheese of any flavor, bacon, sour cream, crackers, croutons, diced onion, Parmesan. Hubby put a few Cheetos on his, LOL! Get creative with your chili! I think it's one of the best, easiest, cheapest, healthiest, throw-together-whatever-you-have kind of meals.