My 7 year old has really started wanting to do everything in the kitchen. She helps, cuts, peels, and even cooks. I think it’s her love language to be in the kitchen. I’m only slightly taking advantage. You see, I started with browning meat, and then she opened cans, and the rest is history…she can easily cook chili from start to finish with only 4 ingredients!
When the oldest two give input for meals for the week, she asks that we have chili every week because everybody loves eating it and she enjoys cooking it. All wins.
All you need is some ground beef, turkey or even imitation meat crumbles (about 1 pound), tomato sauce (6 small cans), your choice of beans (3-5 cans), and chili powder.
First you brown the meat, while it’s browning, open the cans or tomato sauce and beans (drain if necessary). We’ve used chili beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, great northern beans and even chickpeas just depending on what we have and what we feel like.
Once the meat is browned, add in the sauce and the beans and 3 Tablespoons of chili powder (of course, you can adjust this to your taste). Stir it up, heat it and let it simmer covered. We find the longer you can simmer it, the more the tastes mix and the better it tastes. But, you can cook it and get it ready in about 15 minutes, if you are in a pinch.
We serve it sometimes on a baked potato, sometimes on left-over mashed potatoes or tater tots, or sometimes just with corn chips (gluten-free for me) or crackers (for the family). The beauty of chili is that it’s easy to make and also easy to make your own.
Easy 4 ingredient chili | Kids in the kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 6 small cans tomato sauce
- 3-5 cans of beans drain and rinse if necessary
- 3 T chili powder
Instructions
- Brown the meat
- Add the sauce, chili powder and beans
- Simmer chili at least 30 minutes, but ideally several hours
- Serve with crackers, cheese, corn chips, potatoes or more
Do your kids cook in the kitchen? What is their favorite recipe to prepare?
Krystyn has been blogging since 2005. She is a sarcasm-loving, straight-shooting, jeans and t-shirts wearing, wife and mom of four girls (ages 12, 10, 6 and 5). She blogs about life as a mom and wife and includes funny stories, family travel, fitness, recipes, STEM and more. She currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs.
Sounds like N will be helping Grandma in the kitchen this weekend.
Katherine’s making this right now. She’s making it for a friend of mine who’s first day back from maternity leave is tomorrow. She’ll be making it again tomorrow for our dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
The first meal I made for my family took over an hour…. I was a newbie in the kitchen! 🙂
This looks great and it is so easy. We made a chicken chili this weekend. We are def going to try this one too.
Going to make this with my Granddaughter!!
When did she start helping with meat browning and can opening??
Between 5-6. She’s always been interested in the kitchen. You can find a ton of kid friendly kitchen tools which help take some of the mom fear away. The sooner you can get them in the kitchen and helping the better!