Time is of the essence in my house when making meals during the week, so there’s no time to try on my Martha Stewart hat in an attempt to whip up something that’s fit for royalty. Most weekday meals must be quick, and hopefully, tasty.

Among the handful of quick and tasty recipes that I alternate cooking on cold winter days is chili. The ingredients are simple and stove-to-table time is approximately 30 minutes. Not bad!

If you’re looking to warm up with this easy chili recipe, you’ll need these ingredients on hand (I have no brand allegiance, I just buy what tastes good and suits my wallet):

• 2 large cans of kidney beans (drained)
• 2 cans (or jars) of pasta sauce (I prefer Hunt’s “Zesty” or “Meat” flavors for chili)
• 1 small to medium can of chili seasoned tomatoes
• 1 small can of corn (drained)
• 1 packet of chili seasoning
• 1 pound of ground beef

Preparation

• Brown ground beef thoroughly in large pot and drain excess fat
• Add packet of chili seasoning and can of seasoned tomatoes, stir until ingredients are mixed well
• Mix in 2 cans of pasta sauce and 1 can of corn and stir well
• Add 2 cans of kidney beans and mix well with all other ingredients
• Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally
• Adding ingredients slowly allows the flavors and seasonings to mix well; it also makes it easier to stir.

To stretch the recipe, or simply to make it heartier, add 1 pound of boiled elbow macaroni to the prepared chili and mix well.

Note: This recipe yields enough servings to feed my family of six for two nights and also yields a few servings for lunch and/or snack.

Serve with cheddar corn muffins and/or salad.

Cheddar corn muffins

Prepare 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix as directed and add 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar to the batter before pouring into baking cups.

Tip! Add 1 tbsp sugar if you desire sweet corn muffins or try adding jalapeno or pepper jack cheese for a spicy kick!

P.S. – I don’t fuss with homemade salad. I use salad mix and toss in whatever suits me at the time be it cheese, croutons, grapes, nuts, strawberries.