A chat with my uncle about his 'cheap' chili made me rethink my whole grocery list

We were at his place in Springfield last fall, and he served this amazing chili. I asked how much it cost, and he said, 'About twelve bucks for the whole pot, feeds six easy.' He showed me his trick: using a can of plain tomato sauce instead of the pricier 'chili starter' cans, and bulking it up with two cups of dry lentils he got in bulk. It tasted just as good, maybe better. So, is the real key to budget meals skipping the pre-made mixes and going back to basic ingredients, or do those starter kits save enough time to be worth the extra cash? What's your take?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_michael2mo ago

Wait, you were buying chili starter cans?

davis.casey2mo ago

Yeah, I bought two cans of that brand last year. I always thought making chili from scratch was too much work. But then my friend made a pot using just ground beef, a few spices from her cabinet, and a can of tomatoes. It tasted way better and only took about 30 minutes. I haven't touched a starter can since.

paul_morgan2mo ago

Bulking it up with dry lentils" is the real move. My wife started doing that with meatloaf, using half lentils and half ground beef. You get twice as many meals for maybe twenty cents extra, and it's still plenty filling.