Drive-Thru Chili
Total Time: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hour,Makes: 20 servings (5 quarts)
I don’t eat a lot of fast food but when I do I try to pick things that are fairly healthy. I found that Wendy’s chili is actually one of the healthiest items on their menu. So when I needed to bring chili to a potluck, I tried to recreate Wendy’s recipe and I think it got it pretty close. —Margo Zoerner, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 can (46 ounces) tomato juice
- 4 cups V8 juice
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cans (16 ounces each) pink beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- Optional: Sour cream, cubed avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and sliced jalapeno pepper
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Continue to cook until beef is browned, 4-5 minutes longer. Add onion and celery; cook until tender. Stir in chili powder, cumin and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add green chiles and garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
- Stir in juices and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add beans and simmer 20 minutes longer or until thickened to desired consistency. If desired, serve with sour cream, avocado, cheese and jalapenos.
- Freeze option: Freeze cooled chili in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add water if necessary.
NutritionFacts
1 cup: 225 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 595mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 6g fiber), 17g protein.