Planning Ahead: Chili

One of the most important components of the Atkins Nutritional Approach (ANA) is planning ahead.  I used to keep cans of chili (no beans) in the pantry, but I don't like all the fillers used in commercially canned chili.  Whenever I make soup or chili, I can the leftovers.  This week, I've been canning chili on purpose--not from the leftovers.

Instead of using the packet of chili mix that I've used in the past, I used: Linda's Southwestern Chili Con Carne this week.

You start out with 2 lbs of ground meat and the ingredients shown below (follow the link above for the whole recipe).  I forgot to put the garlic in the picture, and I used jalapenos instead of bell peppers, but you get the idea.

 I used ground chicken, which is a lot less expensive than the beef, so it is extra pink.  By the end of cooking, the meat is a nice, brown color, so don't worry about it.  Note the cool utensil--it's made specifically for breaking up ground meat while browning--it's a Pampered Chef tool that I use quite often.

One the meat and onions are browned--add the tomatoes and spices.  Follow the directions in the recipe.

At this point, you can portion out and serve to your family or preserve for later.  Some people freeze single-serving portions, but Hurricane Season is here and I don't like to take a chance on frozen foods at this time of year.  Besides, when I can things, the kids can open a jar and fix dinner without having to wait for something to thaw.

Linda's recipe makes 6 servings--or 3 pint jars.  Though each jar would be two servings for my daughter or me, my son will probably make each jar one serving.  Later this week, I'll make more--I need to have about a case (12 jars) in the pantry.