Chili is one of our favorite meals and happily it’s usually gluten free. This recipe is our own version. Full of chili pepper flavour, it’s still fairly mild, but you can spice it up as much as you want by adding more cayenne pepper. We always make a double batch and freeze the leftovers in single serving containers. It’s even better reheated—making it a great choice for lunches or a quick work night dinner.

Chili is loaded with protein and lycopene, an antioxidant. Even better, it provides lots of fibre and iron, two things that are often hard to come by when you are on a gluten free diet.

What you’ll need:

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

1 – 14 ounce can of tomato sauce

2 – 14 ounce cans of brown beans in tomato sauce

6 – 14 ounce cans of dark red kidney beans

1 tablespoon chili powder (we like McCormick—it’s not too sweet)

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want it spicier)

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (add more if you want it spicier)

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream and grated cheddar cheese for garnish

What you’ll do:

In fry pan or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with some salt and black pepper to taste. Be sure to get lots of deep brown bits on the pan because these will lend your chili a rich beefy flavour.

Add the onion and green pepper and fry until they start to soften.

Add the tomato sauce, beans, and all of the spices.

Bring to a light boil and then simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for an hour and a half to two hours or until the kidney beans are cooked through.

Serve topped with a sprinkling of sharp cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.