Three Meat Chili with Variations

Last night we had my homemade "Three Meat Chili". This dish falls under my favorite category of cooking: "Whatever is in the refrigerator, chop it up and throw it in a pot!" Eating great food does not have to be complicated. I am so sick of every healthy cook book having these crazy long drawn out recipes full of ingredients I have never heard of. Don't get me wrong, I love looking through beautiful cook books and trying new recipes, but most days I just need to feed my family delicious, healthy food with what I have in my fridge and pantry.

So here is my quasi recipe for the chili we enjoyed last night:

1 Large Chicken Breast
1 Pound Browned Ground Sirloin
6 Slices of Bacon, Cooked and crumbled
1/2 EACH- Green, Yellow and Red Pepper Finely Chopped
1/2 Bag Shredded Carrots
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Stewed Tomatos
2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Cup Water
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
salt and pepper to taste

After browning the meat and bacon, throw the rest of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to boil. Boil soup for 10 minutes (This cooks the Chicken and lets to chicken absorb the other flavors). Cover, and let simmer. I actually let this simmer last night for an hour because that is just how our evening went. Everyone enjoyed this meal! This is also a FABULOUS dish for the crock pot! Throw everything in on low and let the crock pot work its magic all day!

Now,  as listed above this is a VERY mild chili. I have three kids so spicy isn't really an option in our house. However, this is really easy to jazz up to your preferred taste. Add a jalapano pepper, or some green chili peppers. Use the canned diced tomatoes with green chili peppers in it if you have some on hand. Increase the amount of each of the Cumin, Chili Powder and Cayenne Pepper to fit your taste buds.

Want more variation? Change up the meats! There is no rule saying you have to use ground beef. Try ground turkey, or pork. This is also really fun with italian sausage. Use what you have and be creative! That is the joy of soup, chili and stews!