Is the fall weather creeping in on your household? Are you looking for a nice comfort food to warm you up from the inside out? Look no further! Our Southern Homemade Chili is hearty, filling and simple – it’s just what you need! This family favorite is packed with flavor and gives your tastebuds what they’ve been missing all summer long. Our chili recipe makes a large enough batch to almost guarantee leftovers and this baby only gets better with time!

When the cool weather starts to creep in, there are not many things on this earth that compare to warm bowl of chili in our household (besides maybe a freshly brewed coffee, a comfy couch and Hallmark movie re-run!). My daughter likes a hefty helping of rice with her chili and my son opts for just the chili with a little cheese on top. My kids even started requesting it in their school lunch thermoses, making it a great fall alternative to PB&J sandwiches. A great aspect of our specific recipe is that it is thick and not overly runny. What I love about that is my kids can eat it while we are on the run and I’m not afraid of it sloshing all over. The thicker consistency allows for an easy dinner on the go…yep, even in the car!

What do I add to chili to make it thicker?

A great way to thicken chili is to mix in 6oz of tomato paste in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Since tomato is already a major component of chili, adding the paste won’t introduce any new flavors to your dish. Add the tomato paste slowly and be sure to mix continuously until everything is fully combined. Fortunately our recipe does not require a thickening agent!

What cheese goes well with chili?

This answer definitely comes down to personal preference. The most popular cheese to serve with our Southern Homemade Chili is cheddar cheese. It’s up to you and your taste buds to determine whether you chose mild, medium or sharp cheddar! Monterey and Pepper Jack cheese would be other great options!

Ingredients for Southern Homemade Chili

• 1 can of Tomato Soup
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 5 TBS Chili Seasoning
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can pinto beans, drained

How to make our Southern Homemade Chili:

In a large pot, brown the sausage. Once fully cooked, drain the grease from the sausage.

Next, add chili seasoning to the meat and stir until combined.

Pour tomato soup and diced tomatoes into the pot.

Open both the beans and the corn and drain. Once drained, add to the pot. Stir until fully combined.

Simmer on low for an hour.

With 20-25 minutes left to simmer, cook rice according to box.

Scoop rice into bowl, then add desired amount of chili and any toppings you prefer.

Enjoy!

Alteration in cooking:

You can brown your meat and drain the grease. Add all ingredients to a crockpot. Set to low and let the ingredients slowly come together for 6-8 hours.

At the end of a long day of work or when exhaustion starts to hit from mom-ing hard all day, we feel like our Southern Homemade Chili erases just a little of the tension from our tired souls. Even better, it’s easy to throw together and makes enough to last…potentially keeping you from cooking two nights in a row (#winning)! By adding our homemade chili seasoning, it makes this dish one of a kind.