| Fast Prep

traditional chili + 6 to try

prep: 25 minutes | cook: 20 minutes | MAKES: 8 servings (1¼ cups each)

• 1½ lb. lean ground beef
• 3 cups chopped carrots, celery, onions, and/or sweet peppers
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 15-oz. cans black beans and/or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
• ½ tsp. black pepper or crushed red pepper
• Desired toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, snipped cilantro, and/or sliced avocado

1. In a 6-qt. pot cook ground beef, chopped vegetables, and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat.

2. Stir the next seven ingredients (through pepper) into meat mixture. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with desired toppings.

PER SERVING: 303 cal., 11 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 55 mg chol., 929 mg sodium, 28 g carb., 9 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 25 g pro.

BBQ PORK: Substitute 1½ lb. pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into ¾-inch pieces, for the ground beef. Reduce tomato sauce to one 8-oz. can and add 1 cup barbecue sauce. Simmer 1½ hours.

THREE BEAN: Use three 15-oz. cans of a combination of black, pinto, garbanzo, and/or red beans in place of the 2 cans black beans.

TURKEY CHILI: Substitute ground turkey for the beef and cannellini beans for the black beans. Omit tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and chili powder. Add one 32-oz. box chicken broth, one 8-oz. jar salsa verde, and one 4-oz. can diced green chiles, undrained. Use cumin in place of the oregano.

ROASTED: Use chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into ¾-inch pieces, in place of the ground beef. Substitute fire-roasted diced tomatoes for the regular canned tomatoes and add ½ cup chopped roasted red sweet peppers and ½ tsp. smoked paprika. Simmer 1½ hours.

MEXICAN: Use 1½ cups chopped, seeded poblano peppers and ½ cup chopped onion in place of the 3 cups vegetables. Add 1 tsp. ground cumin and 2 chipotle chiles in adodo sauce, finely chopped (tip), with the oregano. Stir in ⅓ cup snipped fresh cilantro and ¼ cup lime juice before serving. Serve with lime wedges.

SURF AND TURF: Use 1 lb. thinly sliced boneless top sirloin plus 8 oz. sliced fully cooked andouille sausage in place of the ground beef and substitute Cajun seasoning for the oregano. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add 12 oz. peeled and deveined shrimp; simmer 5 minutes more.