Super Easy Chili

Mom's Easy Chili
1 - 1.5 lbs ground hamburger
1 can kidney beans
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can crushed (or diced) tomatoes
Chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
rice, optional
sour cream, optional
cheese, optional

Fry hamburger meat and drain. Drain beans and add to meat. Add tomato sauce and tomatoes. Add chili powder -- I usually sprinkle the whole top of the mixture with chili powder, then stir, and repeat. Heat through. Serve with rice, sour cream, and cheese.

Variations

• Why use hamburger meat? Use ground turkey or sausage. Go meatless. It your super easy chili, eat it how you like it.
• Kidney beans are traditional but in no way the only chili bean. Pinto beans work well. Ranch style beans (pre-seasoned pinto beans) add a little extra something. Use a combination of beans or no beans at all.
• Feel free to throw whatever is in your pantry into your chili. Got some leftover fried potatoes? Need to use up some plain macaroni? Really love corn?
  
• Use Rotel tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes for some real kick.
• Leave out one or both cans of tomato sauce for a thicker chili.
• Serve your chili over mashed potatoes instead of rice to switch it up a bit.
  

I really like this recipe because it's really easy and really fast. Chili is so easy to change up that it is a staple food in the winter AND it really tastes better the second day, so there's always a reason to make extra.

Love it? Hate it? Got your own variation? Post your thoughts.