I learned how to cook making chili. It was the first dish I feel like I made well and was proud of, it really kicked off my love of cooking. It's hard to mess up, it's cheap, you get a lot, and it lasts a while, and you can freeze it.
This is the recipe I've been building on lately:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/basic-chili/
Here are some notes:
- I leave out jalapenos and brown sugar--my wife doesn't like spiciness. I generally try not to add sugar to stuff, but it does add a bit of depth that is nice
- using beef broth instead of water will result in a better taste. You can also use beer!
- Don't skimp on the tomato paste! It adds a depth and richness you won't get otherwise
- There's no shame in buying a jar of minced garlic. It's easy and it lasts a long time. Fresh garlic will taste better, but if it's your first go at it, why not make things easier on yourself? Just remember for the future to try out mincing it yourself
- Check out this video for how to chop an onion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCGS067s0zo don't worry about getting it perfect though, just as long as they're smallish pieces
- This recipe doesn't mention draining the ground beef, but I would. You might think that the added beef fat would add to the taste, but in my experience it just makes it greasy, especially once you've chilled it and end up with a layer of hardened grease
- Don't skimp on simmering! Turn the heat all the way down low, put the lid on it, and let it do its thing for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom
- Ignore everything I said if you want, try stuff and see for yourself.
If you want more vegetables, carrots, celery, kale, bell peppers, all good choices for a stew-ish dish like this. It's not "traditional" chili at that point, so it's more of a stew I guess, but who cares.