Easy Weeknight Chili and Gluten-Free Cornbread Bowls

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There’s an old issue of Bon Appétit magazine in my Mom’s kitchen, the cover permanently folded back to a recipe for “picnic chili.” The page is tomato-stained, crinkled, and falling out of the magazine; she makes it a lot. Everybody loves it because here’s something different about this chili; the cilantro and cumin give it a bit of a Southwestern flair.

Now that I’m on my own, I love this easy weeknight chili even more. Not only does it remind me of home – a cozy fire, football on the TV, good company, effortless weeknights – but I’ve come to appreciate it from the maker’s perspective. This chili is delicious, yes. But it’s also damn easy to make. Not to mention affordable. And freezable (your future self will thank you).

Since I’m the food CEO (read: control freak) in my house, the things I cook each week have to play by my rules. And I have a hunch that what I’m looking for in a meal is what you’re looking for too. Here are the requirements:

It Needs to Be Delicious

Obviously. This chili is packed with flavor. The chili powder, cumin, and hot Italian sausage give it a good kick of heat. To balance out the spice, I like to serve it with cornbread or over some rice (or cauliflower rice!), topped with a bit of grass-fed yogurt, avocado, and cilantro on top.

It Needs to Be Affordable

This is a big one for me. There’s a common preconception that healthy food isn’t affordable. But, one of my goals at Loveleaf Co. is to show you that it is. Really. Here’s the cost breakdown of this meal (yeah, let’s go there):

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Organic Italian Sausage (1 lb) $6.99 / lb
Organic Ground Turkey (2 lbs) $11.98 at $5.99 / lb
Gluten-Free Beer (1 Bottle) $1.50
Organic Diced Tomatoes (28 oz can) $1.99
Organic Cannellini Beans (three 15 oz cans) $3 at $1 / can
Organic Tomato Paste $1.29
Onion $.69
Garlic $1

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Aside from the meat, which I got from the butcher at Whole Foods, I purchased everything at Trader Joe’s. The total cost for this entire batch of easy weeknight chili is $28.44. This recipe makes 12 servings, so that’s just $2.37 per serving.

Of course, this is assuming you already have the spices on hand. But, even if you need to buy a spice or two, each serving remains well under $5 per serving. To me, that’s a win. Because that’s like…less than a Big Mac. And most other fast food I can think of. And this chili is full of clean, organic ingredients. And doesn’t make you feel… like you just ate a Big Mac. Because nobody got time for that.

A tip: Opt for tomato paste that comes in the tube rather than the can. That way, you’ll be able to easily save the extra for future use.

It Needs to Be Freezable

Ok, this is a bonus rather than a necessity. But I live by the rule: “cook less, eat more.” And recipes that freeze well are like a little present we can give to our future selves. My suggestion? Freeze the chili in portions that you’d actually eat.

For example, if you want the chili for two future dinners, each serving two people, freeze a four portion container. That way, when there’s a week that you’re in need of a meal or two, you don’t need to defrost the whole batch. Voilà. Chili on demand.

Use this chili as the base of other meals! Make healthy chili dogs, use the chili in tacos or on nachos, or –  my personal favorite – over spaghetti squash.

So let’s get to it. Here’s the recipe for a big batch of my Mom’s easy weeknight chili. The original recipe calls for veal, but I like to use ground chicken or turkey to lighten it up a bit. Any ground meat will work. To make it gluten-free, we use gluten-free lager instead of regular beer. Serve the chili with this easy vegan gluten-free cornbread. Serving a crowd? I’ve got three words for you: chips and guac.  

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