Easy chili for cold winter nights

When time permits, I enjoy the hours-long process of simmering Texas-style chili on the stovetop. However, a quick, classic American-style ground beef chili can be just the thing on a cold winter weeknight.

It doesn’t take long to tenderize ground meat, or, if you want to use them, build flavor with a can of beans, so the only tweaks needed to make a typical chili recipe 5:30 Challenge-appropriate are in the ingredient list.

Most chili recipes come with a long list of spices, aromatics and “secret” ingredients like chocolate or coffee. To get down to the basics, it’s helpful to think about the key components of a good chili.

Beyond the beans and meat, you’ll need to use ground chiles, some kind of tomato product and perhaps an aromatic vegetable, such as an onion or garlic. I keep things simple with a classic chili powder blend, which typically includes spices like cumin and oregano, in addition to dried mild and spicy chiles. For the tomato component, I find concentrated tomato paste to be the most impactful. Its deep sweetness and umami amplify the dish more than canned whole tomatoes would do on their own. In addition to the paste, I use a tomato-vegetable juice, such as V8, to bring the dish together. These juices contain aromatics in addition to tomatoes, and add the necessary liquid to turn the meat and beans into an actual chili. (To allow for flexibility in seasoning, use low-sodium juice; you can always add more salt before serving.)

The final touch for any chili is the toppings. I like to bring an assortment to the table so everyone can top their bowl to their liking.