My whole family likes chili, some like it spicy, some don't. My 16 yo son won't normally eat veggies so this is one way to get them into him This recipe I came up with while I was looking in our pantry to see what we had. I generally make a big pot and take out enough for my daughter before I add too much of the "hot stuff". A big pot like this makes enough for 3 or 4 meals for a family of 4 so we split the leftover into portions to freeze

Step 1: I Used

When I cook, I never make things the same way twice. For this batch I used ~3 lbs ground beef, 1 can romano beans,1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans, costco size jar pasta sauce, 1 carton veggie broth, 1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic, ~1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning mix, ~1 tsp cayenne pepper, ~4 Tbsp red pepper sauce (mason jar), ~1 cup mushrooms, 1 kg bag frozen veggies, salt and pepper to taste. At this ratio, it isn't too spicy so everyone can eat it.

Step 2: Cook It

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add everything but veggies and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add veggies and simmer for another 45 min or until people start eating it anyway then remove from heat.

Step 3: Italian Bread

For this meal I decided to try and make Italian bread as well. I have a bread maker, so this recipe is geared with that in mind. Always follow manufacturer's directions but normally add liquid first, then dry. Into machine bowl, add 1 1/3 c warm water, 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, 4 c flour, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 pkg active dry yeast(2 1/4 tsp) and set the machine to dough cycle. When it is done, cut the dough into 2 loaves and roll in corn meal. I don't have any so just rolled in flour. Place loaves on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, set in a warm place to rise for about 40 min. Beat 1 egg and add 1 tsp water to it. When they have risen, brush with egg mixture and, with a sharp knife, slice along the top of the loaves. After they were cooked, I realized I should have cut them deeper, maybe 1" deep or so. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for about 30 min. Loaves are done when they sound hollow with a light tap