Get Chillay!

Pin It In case you haven't noticed yet...FALL IS HERE!  Fall is my abosolute favorite season.  I love everything about it...other than it means that winter is just around the corner.  Pumpkin pie, fresh apples, the smell of burning leaves, the crunch of the brightly colored leaves underneath your feet,  the crisp cool air, Halloween, football games, nature hikes, Thanksgiving, and of course CHILI.  Yum. I hated having to miss out on warm homemade chili last year living in the dorms. The stuff in the cafeteria just does not count. Tonight I found out that my dad was making homemade stew at home and it made me really jealous.  Those were some of my favorite Sunday nights at home.  Homemade stew for dinner, fire crackling in the fireplace, The Kitty blanket spread out on the floor infront of the TV, and popcorn for dessert.  Those were the days. <3  So with a little inspiration from my dad I decided to conjour up my own warm fall dinner.  This required me to get a little creative, however, because  I didn't have much in my pantry to work with, but I was up for the challenge.   I tried to make this recipe as healthy as I could, but of course everything is always better when it's totally from scratch. I could have made my own spaghetti sauce and cooked my own beans, but when time is short and your wallet is tight (like most college students) other things will just have to make due.  I think this recipe turned out surprisingly well.  I was a little hesitant about making chili without garlic cloves or tomatos.  The garlic powder and spaghetti sauce worked just fine though to create a simple and quick chili recipe.

Quick and Easy Chili

Note: I have to admit this picture does not do this chili justice.  Trust me it tastes way better than it looks!

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp Olive oil

1 lb Venison cubed

Dash seasoning salt

2/3 (1 lb. 8 oz.) jar Prego veggie smart spaghetti sauce (other varieties should work too)

15 oz can No salt added black beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can Reduced sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped Red onion

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 1/2 tbsp Chili powder

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat.
2. After about 4-5 minutes, add the venison to the pan and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Cook until medium rare (or to your own liking). Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a large pot, dump together the spaghetti sauce, beans, onion, garlic powder, and chili powder.
5. Heat over medium heat stirring occasionally.
6. Once heated thouroughly, mix in the venison cubes and reduce heat to medium-low.
7. Let it continue to simmer for a few more minutes stirring occasionally.
8. Remove from heat and enjoy!
Makes about 6 cups/servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 315
Total Fat: 6 g
     Sat. Fat: 0.9g
     Poly. Fat: 0.4 g
     Mono. Fat: 1.2 g
Cholesterol: 58.7 mg
Sodium: 719.3 mg (This could easily be reduced by making your own sauce and emitting canned ingredients)
Potassium: 783.4 mg
Total Carbs: 35 g
     Dietary Fiber: 9.4 g
     Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 31.8 g (!!!)
Vitamin A: 27.8%
Vitamin C: 4.6%
Calcium: 8.2%
Iron: 32.3%