Bell's Favorite Chili

A kid friendly chili recipe easy enough for anyone to make, including kids!

Mike and I are big fans of chili, at one point it was a winter staple in our house and was made probably every one to two weeks. The girls were never big fans of it, probably because my older recipes called for spicier ingredients and their young palates weren't quite ready for that.

As the girls have grown, I've tried many different recipes from cookbooks to internet finds, all swearing to be kid friendly/approved only to have them turn their noses up at all them. A few bites here and there or just a full on refusal to eat it left me making sure I always had a backup meal.

Some time ago, I decided to come up with my own recipe just to see how it would be received. Maddie being older now, is experimenting with varying levels of a spice (mostly on dares) but Bella still sticks to mild to no spice in everything! Except when it comes to buffalo chicken or cauliflower, go figure! Anyway, challenge accepted!

The first time I made this chili, Bella ate two bowls of it, asked for it for lunch the next day and then again the day after that! To say I was shocked is putting it mildly. Anytime Bella REALLY likes anything I get nervous because it's often fleeting and can turn to hate just as quickly as her deciding she liked it. Everything needs to be in moderation in our house!

Bell's Favorite Chili

Ingredients

You'll need more than what's pictured here so make sure you read below!

• 1-2 lbs. of ground turkey meat (sub ground meat of your choice)

• 2 bell peppers (pick your favorite colors) - diced

• 1 medium onion - diced

• 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

• 1 6 oz. can of tomato paste

• 1 cup of frozen or fresh corn

• 1/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

• 1/2 - 1 tsp of chili powder

• 1/2 tsp of onion powder

• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp of salt

• 1/2 -3/4 of a cup of water

• 1 package of Lipton's Beefy Onion soup and dip mix

• 1 tbsp. of olive oil

• Black pepper to your liking

Instructions:

1. Set Instant Pot to the brown/sauté function.

2. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the bottom of the pot. Allow to heat for about two minutes and then add onions and ground turkey.

3. Break up the ground turkey and stir occasionally until turkey has lost all of it's pink color and appears to be gray.

4. Add diced bell pepper, stir to mix in and allow to cook for another 6-8 minutes.

5. Add in diced tomatoes with liquid, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder salt and pepper along with the package of Beefy Onion mix. Stir to combine.

6. Add in the 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water until there is just enough water to make the chili appear like a think soup. (You may add more or less to your liking)

7. Continue to stir.

8. Add in 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce and tomato paste. Stirring well to make sure that all of the paste is incorporated into the mix along with the barbecue sauce.

9. Hit stop/cancel on Instant Pot. (Yes, we have used the brown sauté function this entire time!)

10. Press the slow cook function and set to desired length. (see note below)

11. 30 minutes before serving, add corn and stir well.

A few notes to end with:

This chili can be ready in as little as 30 minutes. If you want it done quicker you'd at the corn at step 9 and use the either the actual chili function or soup function. What I have found is that using those functions without your full attention and vigilant stirring leads to burning on the bottom.

I choose to let it sit because I like to start it midmorning or early afternoon and have it ready for dinner time. I typically let it sit on the low slow cooker setting which it gives it just the right amount of heat.

This is a very basic chili recipe that works for our family right now, as I mentioned above chili before the kids started eating it was very different so remember to play with this recipe and make it your own. You can't ruin it!

Keep in mind

I use my Instant Pot a lot when cooking chili, some soups and stews and have learned to adapt recipes a great deal through trial and error. It's ok to mess up, someone will eat it even if it's just one of your pets!