Robin’s Chili & Potatoes

Since the weather is getting colder my favorite things to eat are soups, top of my list is chili.  My mom & my granny always made chili with potatoes in fact I grew up thinking that was the way it was supposed to be.  Now my family loves it too.  My sister makes mashed potatoes and puts her chili over it.   I like it both ways, let me know what you think.  :)

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs of hamburger

1 small onion

½ bell pepper

2 ribs of celery

2 cans, 29 oz each of tomato sauce

2 cups of water.

1 small can, 6 oz. of tomato paste

1 or 2 cans of kidney beans (I use 2 but I like a lot of beans)

1 clove of garlic minced

4 Tbsp of chili powder

1 tsp of ground cumin

1 tsp of sugar (I use Splenda or Stevia)

½ tsp of ground black pepper

Salt to taste

2 – 3 medium to large potatoes

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Brown beef with onions and garlic over medium heat, drain off grease.  (I use extra lean ground beef – 95% or higher), peel and dice potatoes, set aside in pot of water.   In pot that you browned the burger in, add all the rest of the ingredients except for the shredded cheese,  drain the potatoes and add those also, stir to mix well.     Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done, stirring occasionally.    Serve with shredded cheese on top and with crackers or homemade rolls.