There are certain foods from childhood that I grew so accustomed to that my taste buds just say “THIS is how it’s supposed to taste!” Chili is one of those foods for me. Growing up in a home that ate exclusively Nalley canned chili, I’ve always been on the hunt for a quick and easy chili recipe that tasted just the way I expect chili to taste.
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Growing Up on Canned Chili
As I mentioned, I grew up in a home that exclusively used Nalley chili. We’d eat it by the bowl full, but also used it as a topping for baked potatoes and hot dogs. After growing up and leaving the house, that one canned food almost single-handedly saw me through many college-student and early-in-marriage dinners.
When I started cooking from scratch due to dietary restrictions, I hit a little roadblock; any time I wanted to have a baked potato with chili, it always tasted “off” when I tried to use chili that I had made from scratch.
My taste buds just wanted a can of Nalley.
And the funny thing is that it was the same with my husband because he grew up eating Nalley, as well.
So…off I went into the world of Pinterest, looking for a recipe that tasted like canned chili. Usually people try to get their food to NOT taste like canned food. I’m crazy, I know.
I never found what I needed on Pinterest {what?!}, but in a comment thread of some random food discussion board (I can’t find it now), someone shared a recipe that reminded them of Nalley. I tweaked it a little bit and gave it a try. We were sold.
In fact, our taste buds have now changed (plus, I swear Nalley changed their recipe after their shortage a few years back). We much prefer this homemade chili to canned and it has become a heavy lifter in our family meal planning. In addition to being a simple weeknight dinner on the stovetop, it’s super easy to put all of the ingredients in a crockpot and let it simmer all day. You can also save some time by cooking and freezing the ground beef in advance so you just have to throw it in and let it simmer with the other ingredients.
A Nalley Chili Copycat Recipe?
Now, I’m not going to advertise this as a copycat because it’s not; it definitely tastes like homemade chili. (Which means you should still give this a try even if you’re not a fan of Nalley.) BUT it is a simple chili that is PERFECT for topping hot dogs, fries, or baked potatoes, and it is also delicious to eat in a bowl with your favorite toppings.
You can also omit the ground beef and substitute an additional can of kidney beans. This makes an easy Meatless Monday dinner!
If you grew up in a Nalley-eating home like mine, it will be slightly reminiscent of childhood. Give it a try…it’s delicious!
Pin This Quick and Easy Chili Recipe
Just add this pin to your favorite Pinterest board of simple recipes! You’ll be able to quickly find this recipe when you have a hankering for some Nalley chili.
Grab the Recipe!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (or 2 Tbsp dried chopped onion)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes Undrained
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce (You might not use all of it)
- 2 15 oz cans pinto beans Drained and rinsed
Ingredients
| |
- In a soup pot, brown ground beef with onion. Drain fat.
- Add all other ingredients to pot. Add enough of the tomato sauce for your desired consistency. I normally use about 3/4 of a can.
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes. (If you are pressed for time and can't simmer for very long, add a pinch or two of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.)
- Serve with your favorite toppings (sour cream, onion, cheese) OR as a topping for baked potatoes, nachos, or hot dogs!
- **For a meatless version, just add an additional can of beans (I like to use kidney beans when I omit the meat)