There’s something so down-home about a good bowl of hearty chili. It’s nice to always have one in the freezer. Chili is great to pull out on a snowy day. 
Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili Recipe:
- 1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1- 28 oz. can diced Italian style tomatoes
- 2 ¼ lb. lean ground beef
- 2- 15 oz. cans small red kidney beans
- 1-2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (add more if you like it spicy)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Brown the beef in a large skillet and drain the grease. Allow to cool. Put the browned ground beef in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and green peppers. Pour in both cans of tomatoes. 
The bag will be quite full at this point. You may want to prop it up either by setting it in a tall juice container and folding the top of the bag over the edge, having someone hold it open, or using a “baggy rack” to hold the bag open for you.
Drain one of the cans of kidney beans and add it to the bag. Add the other can of beans with its juice. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Squish to combine. Freeze.
On the day you want to cook the hearty chili, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. 
Stovetop instructions:
Cover with lid and cook on the stovetop over low-medium heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
When you notice that the chili is looking a bit watery, take the lid off. When it starts to look like it needs to be a bit more watery, add the lid. Repeat this process for the duration of the cooking time.
Don’t forget to stir it from time to time. Chili stuck to the bottom of the pot is no fun to clean off!
Crock pot instructions:
Cook on low for 5-7 hours.
Check out these other great family freezer to crock pot meals:
- 1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1- 28 oz. can diced Italian style tomatoes
- 2 ¼ lb. ground beef
- 2- 15 oz. cans small red kidney beans
- 1-2 medium onions chopped
- 1 medium green pepper chopped
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes add more if you like it spicy
- 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro roughly chopped
-
Brown beef in a large skillet and drain the grease. Allow to cool. Put the browned ground beef in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro.
-
Add the chopped onions, garlic and green peppers. Pour in both cans of tomatoes.
-
The bag will be quite full at this point. You may want to prop it up either by setting it in a tall juice container and folding the top of the bag over the edge, having someone hold it open, or using a "baggy rack" to hold the bag open for you.
-
Drain one of the cans of kidney beans and add it to the bag. Add the other can of beans with its juice. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Squish to combine. Freeze.
-
On the day you want to cook the hearty chili, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
-
Cover with lid and cook on the stovetop over low-medium heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
-
When you notice that the chili is looking a bit watery, take the lid off. When it starts to look like it needs to be a bit more watery, add the lid. Repeat this process for the duration of the cooking time.
-
Don't forget to stir it from time to time. Chili stuck to the bottom of the pot is no fun to clean off!
-
Cook on low for 5-7 hours.
These are so fast to make that you can make several of them in minutes. Once they are in the freezer, they are perfect to pull out for a Sunday dinner.
On the day you want to serve this, take it out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Slice and serve on buns, using the juices from the roast for dipping.
Our whole family loves tacos, so I was expecting to get some dissent on the change. They surprised me. I surprised me! We all loved the chicken version just as much.
Instant Pot Cooking Instructions:
You can also offer sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on the side. If chicken tacos aren’t your thing or if you have leftovers, you can also use the shredded meat as a topping on nachos or in wraps.
This six ingredient recipe may be simple, but the taste is there. Serve this chicken with any number of sides. It goes well with a vegetable and wild rice.
Last weekend, we were invited out to my brother-in-law’s lake. It’s always such a treat to go out there. They have a boat and our kids love getting to waterski and tube on the lake.
