Three-Bean Chili

We made the chili on a cold Wednesday night, and it really hit the spot. The chili was surpisingly tasty, which was a little surprising since I'm a meat eater and there was no meat in it. The entire family loved it, and it was one of the few times we didn't have to fight with the children to eat their dinner.

The chili was really easy to make since most of the recipe is just putting in different canned goods. I had Shelby help me make the meal, and she had a good time cooking. It was really easy to cook since there was not a lot of prep time and the only thing needing to be cut was the squash. When we made the chili, squash wasn't really in season, but we were able to find three small yellow squash in the organic section that tasted just fine.

The serving size is big, yet only 179 calories, so it was not a problem for me to have two servings and feel full after. The 10 g of fiber and 10 g of protein per serving was also a plus and helped control hunger after.

The meal was under $10 and made plenty of leftovers. The cost of our supplies were Tomato paste ($0.60), Chili Beans ($1.19), Tomato Sauce ($1.19), Kidney Beans ($0.69), Stewed Tomatoes ($1.00), Pinto Beans ($0.69), Frozen Corn ($1.25), Yellow Squash ($0.81) for a total cost of $7.42. We used the leftovers for lunch the next day, and even Shelby wanted to take some with her to Daycare for lunch, which we allowed.

Prep/Total Time: 30-45 minutes

Yield: 10 servings

• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) chili beans, undrained
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-salt added stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped yellow summer squash

1. In a Dutch oven, combine the water, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
2. Add the corn and squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes longer or until the squash is tender.

Nutrition: (1 cup) 179 calories, 1 g fat, Trace saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 491 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 10 g protein.