Recipes and Cooking Chili 4.0 (139) 5 Reviews Our basic chili recipe has been a tried-and-true BH&G favorite for decades. Make the easy chili recipe stand out by piling on extra cheese, onions, and sour cream. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on March 14, 1980 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef ½ cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small) ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, undrained 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained 2 - 3 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Shredded cheddar cheese (optional) Chopped onion (optional) Dairy sour cream (optional) Crushed red pepper (optional) Directions In a 3-quart saucepan cook and stir ground beef, sweet pepper, 1/2 cup chopped onion, and the garlic over medium heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, undrained beans, undrained tomatoes, chili powder, salt, basil, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. To serve, ladle chili into bowls. If desired, top each serving with cheese, chopped onion, and/or sour cream and pass crushed red pepper. Makes 4 main-dish servings. Chili for Two: Prepare as above, except divide all ingredients in half. Cincinnati-Style Chili: Prepare as above, except omit sweet pepper, basil, and optional garnishes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the tomato sauce. To serve, place 1/2 cup hot cooked spaghetti on each of 4 serving plates; make an indentation in center of each portion. Top each serving with some of the chili, 1 to 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped onion, and/or 1/4 cup additional kidney beans. Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 381 Calories 15g Fat 35g Carbs 32g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 381 % Daily Value * Total Fat 15g 19% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 71mg 24% Sodium 1265mg 55% Total Carbohydrate 35g 13% Protein 32g Calcium 111.1mg 9% Iron 5.2mg 29% Potassium 905mg 19% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.