Quick & Easy Chili

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr
 Have you ever had one of "Those" days?  You know the kind of day I mean.  A day where everything you touch turns to dust.
This has been one such day for me.  I had a ton of stuff to do and nothing was working out. I found myself in a bit of a funk and was quite unsure as to what to cook for my dinner.  I was hungry, but really didn't want to put in a lot of time or effort.
 
 I was really late getting up, which made me late doing everything else. I couldn't get my mind to settle on any one thing.
I found out I had to teach in RS/PH next Sunday and am not really prepared. My kittens knocked a glass of drink all over my floor that I had to clean up (thank goodness it didn't end up on my PC). 
 I knocked my fruit fly trap off the counter onto the floor and it was full of bugs, so I had to clean that up.  Blech.  Not my cup of tea.
Tomorrow is bin day so I was trying to get my garbage ready to put out. I have two small boxes of broken glass so decided to condense then into one and ended up with broken glass all over the floor.  (Try keeping two nosy kittens out of that!)
 My bag of plastics and tins, etc. fell over and half emptied on the floor.  I had to pop everything back in and decided to mop the floor because . . .  well  . . .  by then it needed it.
I had someone complain about ads on the page and had to explain to them why they were necessary.  I wish that they weren't but it is what it is.  The only way I can afford to live in a place of my own is if I make an income, and this blog is it.
  I am not some huge conglomeration with a bazillion people working for me.  I am just me, and I do all the work here. It is not as fancy, admittedly,  as some other people's blogs.  There are no videos for instance.
My photos may not even be as good as they are on other people's blogs.  But I do my best and I do  this every day. I spend hours doing it.  Cooking. Photographing. Editing. Writing things up. Answering comments, questions, etc.
 There are some expenses which I incur to do this.  I pay for a registered domain, which is a necessity. I pay for a program which gives my readers the option to print the recipe.  I pay for an e-mail program which means I can send out a newsletter each day to let people know I have posted. I pay for photo storage.
I pay for the cost of the food, and all of my utilities.  The internet.  Electricity, hot water etc.  
In return my readers have access to already tested recipes, and there are almost 5000 of them on here. Admittedly I could have a better index system, but I am working on that.
 I work hard developing and testing recipes that work out well and won't fail. (so long as you follow the instructions)  And I do it every day. 
I respond to all the comments left, not only on here, but also on the Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, etc. If anyone has a question I do my best to get back to them right away, or as soon as I can!
 For years and years I did all of this for not much more than the pleasure of doing this.  But, through no fault of my own, last autumn I found myself in need of an income, and so I put ads on the page. I have to say I am very grateful for the income that they bring me.
Were it not for them, I would not have a home. They pay my rent.  I never worked in jobs where I had a pension plan and I earn a basic state pension. I get no other benefits. I don't have a partner or a husband to help split the cost of living expenses.  This blog is it. 
 People happily pay for recipe magazines, often at a huge cost, and for recipe books.  I was astonished at the cost of a recipe magazine these days when I returned to Canada.  $15.99 plus tax for many of the better ones. 
And they are filled with ads.  You  might only cook one or two things from out of them as well.  
All it costs you to look at my page is your time.  Nothing more, nothing less.  And you have access to a data base of almost 5,000 recipes.
I personally think its good value, but admittedly I am a bit biased.
 Anyways, thinking about all of this and my comedy of errors around the house, etc. put me in a bit of a funk, and I was having a hard time settling down to making something to eat.
And then I remembered this recipe. Its simple. It uses store cupboard ingredients.  Its quick and easy. Most important of all, its DELICIOUS!
 
Admittedly it is a far cry from a traditional chili recipe.  If you are wanting one of those, I do have some very good ones on here.   You can find a recipe for a very tasty baked one here: Chili with a Difference  
I also have a great recipe on here for Simple Chili.  Then there is The Best Chili Ever, always a winner. White Bean Turkey Chili.   Creamy White Chili.  Fireside Skillet Chili.   Just to name a few. There is no shortage of chili recipes.
 
Today I am sharing Quick & Easy Chili.  Its quick. If you can open a few cans, you can make this.  It uses ground turkey, so a bit healthier than ground beef, although you could certainly use ground beef if you wanted to. 
It goes together in next to no time and is a real belly warmer.
 Its a bit on the sweet side because of the brown sugar used, but its delicious. You could leave that out entirely if you wanted to, or cut it back. I love it with  as it is.
It is just spicy enough.  It uses a full TBS of mild Chili powder. Don't make the mistake in the UK of using regular chili powder. The chili powder here in North America is adulterated with lots of things like garlic and oregano.  Its not pure and is a heck of a lot milder, so adjust accordingly.

You can dress this up if you wish by adding canned corn or green chilies, peppers, etc.  But I can assure you, even at its basic right here, its delicious.
Children love this and so do I.  I enjoy mine in a bowl with a grated spicy Tex Mex blend sprinkled on top and some crusty bread to mop up all of that delicious sauce.  Enjoy, and thanks for listening.
  

Quick & Easy Chili

Yield: 4Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 MinThis is a bit sweeter than most chili's but it is incredibly quick to make and quite delicious. It is the perfect choice when you want something on the table pronto that is filling and belly warming.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 can (15 3/4 oz/ 425g) baked beans with pork
  • 1 can (14 1/2 oz/400g) tin of chopped tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (10 3/4 oz/305g) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
  • 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
  • 1 TBS mild chili powder (in the UK play it by ear)
To serve:
  • Grated cheese (I use a Tex Mex blend)
  • crusty bread

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan.  Add the turkey and the onion.  Scramble fry the turkey over medium heat until the turkey is no longer pink and the onion has softened. Drain if necessary.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through and all of the flavors have melded together.
  3. Ladle into heated bowls and serve hot with some grated cheese sprinkled on top and crusty bread on the side.
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