Simple Chili with Baked Beans
I created this recipe because my children could not tolerate chili beans. Fast and foolproof.
I created this recipe because my children could not tolerate chili beans. Fast and foolproof.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 70.30681735 mg
- Fat 5.669904625 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 24.27853160425 g
- Saturated Fat 2.55145708125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (113g)
- Sodium 74.84274105 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0.387821476350001 g
- Calories 155 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown and drain ground beef.
- In a soup pot add preseasoned tomatoes, preseasoned tomato sauce, and beans.
- If needed add extra chili powder to your tastes.
- Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or longer if you feel like it.
- Serve.
Baked beans bring a heavy dose of sugar and molasses that standard chili beans lack entirely. This high sugar content changes how the pot behaves on the stove. Ground beef releases moisture when browned, but the thick tomato sauce and canned beans trap that remaining water quickly. Without enough reduction time, the base stays watery instead of clinging to the meat.
Chili traditions vary wildly across regions, yet replacing kidney or pinto beans with baked varieties pushes this style toward sweeter midwestern interpretations. Sweet beans resist breaking down under prolonged heat. They hold their shape better than dried legumes soaked at home. The sauce thickens primarily through starch migration from the beans rather than moisture evaporation.
Judging doneness relies entirely on visual cues and timing rather than internal temperature probes. Simmer the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes to marry the flavors. Watch for the fat to separate slightly at the edges of the pot. Stir frequently to prevent the sugary bean sauce from scorching on the bottom of the vessel.
Extra chili powder adjusts the heat profile against the sweet baseline of the baked beans. Add spices gradually during the simmer phase. Taste the liquid after five minutes of heat exposure so the raw spice flavor cooks out completely.
