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Mexican Albóndigas Soup

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Mexican Albóndigas is a traditional Mexican soup that will quickly become a family favorite.

 Mexican Albóndigas is a traditional Mexican soup that will quickly become a family favorite.

What is Mexican Albóndigas Soup?

Like many traditional recipes, albóndigas is one that has slight variations from family to family, but the bones are the same: a broth-based soup with lots of chopped vegetables and always meatballs. (Spanish Albóndigas, on the other hand are a very different dish, and you can find more on them here).

Some make the meatballs with a mix of pork and beef; others use all beef. Some include chayote or green pepper while others keep it basic with onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini. Some cook the rice a bit before putting them into the meatballs, but most form the meatballs with uncooked rice.

Yes, adding uncooked rice actually works (as we learned when making Porcupine Meatballs), and it’s pretty amazing. The rice takes the place of the breadcrumbs in these meatballs. Some of the rice will end up in the soup, but most of it cooks right in the meatball.

Embrace Ingredient Variety

We tried a few different ingredient variations during our research: all beef vs. a mixture of pork and beef in the meatballs, celery vs. green pepper, and diced tomatoes vs. a combination of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. All this is to say that this soup is flexible.

Use what you have, use what you love – it’s bound to work. Finish the bowl off with a squeeze of lemon (not lime – using lemon was the one constant we found in this dish) and some chopped cilantro.

Mexican Albóndigas is definitely a comfort food, but a light and flavorful one that you’ll be happy to eat for days if your family doesn’t gobble it all up in one meal.

 

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Mexican Albondigas Soup

Mexican Albóndigas Soup

Contributor: Emily Dingmann

Mexican Albóndigas is a traditional Mexican soup that will quickly become a family favorite.

  • Author: Emily Dingmann
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3 and 1/2 quarts 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef (20% lean, 80% fat)
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 1 /2 cup white rice
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped (about 1 and 1/2 cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 green pepper, chopped (about 1 and 1/2 cups)
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped (about 1 and 1/ 2 cups)
  • 1 box (32 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
  • Lemon and cilantro, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until beaten. Add the ground beef, ground pork, rice and garlic. Season with cumin, salt and pepper.
  2. Lightly mix together with hands until incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Roll into 3/4 – 1 inch balls – you should have about 30-35 of them. Set aside.
  3. Heat large stock pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add potatoes, onion and carrots to pot. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  4. Add green pepper and zucchini to pot. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add broth, water, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to pot and bring to a boil.
  6. Carefully add meatballs into pot, stirring so they are all submerged, and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and top with chopped cilantro.
This post originally appeared in February 2018 and was revised and republished in February 2021.

Italian Meatball Soup

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A bowl of easy Italian Meatball Soup is just what your family needs this week.

A bowl of easy Italian Meatball Soup is just what your family needs this week.

Italian Meatball Soup

Italian Meatball Soup, not to be confused with its slightly high maintenance cousin, Italian wedding soup, is a healthy and hearty meal you can get on the table in half an hour. 30 minutes?! Now, that’s what I call low maintenance.

Plus, Italian Meatball Soup is packed with protein, veggies, and tons of flavor. Sounds like the perfect well-balanced family dinner, right?

Use Pantry Ingredients!

The key to a quick and easy Italian meatball soup is utilizing your pantry. Do you have dried pasta? Of course you do. Do you have frozen veggies? Absolutely. Did you freeze these Classic Italian-style Meatballs last time you made them? Well, maybe you didn’t… but store-bought frozen meatballs will do the trick just as well.

Praise the pantry gods who make weeknight dinners a breeze. But seriously, this recipe is as easy as “throw a whole bunch of pantry items in a pot, simmer, and enjoy.”

 

Looking for more quick soup recipes? We’ve got you covered here with some great classics and interesting twists, all ready in under 15 minutes.

 

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Italian Meatball Soup

Italian Meatball Soup

Contributor: Ellie O'Brien

A bowl of easy Italian Meatball Soup is just what your family needs this week.

  • Author: Ellie O'Brien
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 (32 oz.) container beef broth
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 lb. frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs
  • 1 cup dried pasta
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Stir water, tomatoes, beef broth, and Italian seasoning together in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
  2. Add vegetables, meatballs, and pasta to the pot. Return broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the meatballs are heated through and the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
  3. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
This post originally appeared in February 2018 and was revised and republished in January 2021.

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

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African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew is a hearty dish that makes a perfect meatless dinner. It may sound like an interesting flavor combo but it’s delicious. Really. So. Good.

red bowl sweet potato, greens and peanuts in a thick stew; beige and red cloth under bowl; larger bowl of stew in background

A few years ago I had this amazing sweet potato and peanut soup at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was strange, actually, because it was called Western African Peanut Soup on the menu, but Ethiopia is not in Western Africa. I was intrigued and ordered it anyways. I’ve been wanting to try to recreate it ever since then.

I couldn’t wait for a chance to share it with you, and our Sweet Potato Series seemed like a good place, especially as a great reminder that sweet potatoes aren’t just for pies and casseroles. You can include them in soups and stews, and even in quesadillas. Yes, we totally did that!

Can you make this soup vegan?

While I use chicken broth in it you can totally substitute it out for vegetable broth instead. 

Can you add protein?

If you are worried about getting enough protein in your meal, you can add chicken or cooked chickpeas. If you add chicken, cube it into 1-inch pieces and sauté the chicken until almost cooked through then remove from the pan and set aside and add back into the pan after adding the ginger and garlic.

If you want to add chickpeas, add 2 cans of chickpeas that you’ve drained and rinsed when you add the kale.

I really think you’re going to love this soup. It’s creamy and a bit sweet but also spicy too. I love that sweet-spicy thing. Enjoy!

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African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

Contributor: Christine Pittman

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew is a hearty dish that makes a perfect meatless dinner. It may sound like an interesting flavor combo but it’s delicious. Really. So. Good.

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 lbs. (about 3 medium) sweet potatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch ginger piece, grated
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Roasted peanuts for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, peel and dice sweet potatoes. Add to onions. Stir. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  3. Add garlic and ginger. Cook 30 seconds.
  4. Add broth, tomatoes, peanut butter, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir and heat to a boil.
  5. Add kale. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are very soft. Mash some sweet potatoes with a spoon to thicken the soup.
  6. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

Notes

  • If you want to add chicken, cube 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and sauté the chicken until almost cooked through then remove from the pan and set aside and add back into the pan after adding the ginger and garlic.
  • If you want to add chickpeas, add 2 (16 oz.) cans of chickpeas that you’ve drained and rinsed when you add the kale.

One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

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You can make spaghetti and meatballs in one pot, saving time and dishes. It can be ready in 30 minutes, making it the perfect meal any day of the week.

You can make spaghetti and meatballs in one pot, saving time and dishes. It can be ready in 30 minutes, making it the perfect meal any day of the week.

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic favorite dish. And now you can make it quicker than ever. Plus, the clean up is easier since we’re making this in one pot. Perfect for busy weeknights. Here are some of our tips for making the very best spaghetti and meatballs a one pot meal.

What meatballs should you use?

You can buy your favorite brand of meatballs at the store for convenience (especially on busy weeknights), or you can make your own traditional meatballs. If you prefer homemade meatballs, you can make them ahead of time or make these quick one-ingredient Sausage Meatballs. Once they are cooked set them aside.

Can you cook raw meatballs in the sauce?

Yes, you can, but you should make the sauce first, then immerse meatballs into the sauce and cook them for about 5-8 minutes until fully cooked. Cooking the meatballs this way will change the texture. Instead of the crispier texture they get from baking they will stay soft.

How long does the spaghetti take to cook?

You need to break spaghetti into 2-3 pieces and immerse the pasta fully into the sauce. Cook it for about 13-15 minutes until the spaghetti is soft.

How do you know if the spaghetti is done?

The best way to make sure the pasta is cooked is to taste it. It should be cooked al dente or somewhat firm. Don’t overcook the pasta, otherwise it will become gummier the longer it sits.

How to cook one pot spaghetti and meatballs:

  • Make sure you heat the pan and oil before adding ingredients to it to cook.
  • Cook the meatballs before starting the rest of the dish if the meatballs are raw.
  • Cook the vegetables until they are somewhat soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  • You can omit the crushed red pepper if you don’t want any heat to the dish.
  • It’s important to break the spaghetti into 2-3 smaller pieces so it cooks properly.
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One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

Contributor: Ilona Orzechowska

You can make spaghetti and meatballs in one pot, saving time and dishes. It can be ready in 30 minutes, making it the perfect meal any day of the week.

  • Author: Ilona Orzechowska
  • Prep Time: 8 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 Minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb. store-bought meatballs or traditional meatballs
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 3 and 1/2 cups low-sodium stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 12 oz. dry spaghetti, broken into 2–3 pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook store-bought meatballs according to the package instructions. You can also cook homemade traditional meatballs or 1-ingredient sausage meatballs for this recipe. Set aside.
  2. Add oil to the pot. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened.
  3. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for 30 seconds.
  4. Add salt, black pepper, stock, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. Add spaghetti.
  5. Reduce the temperature to keep it at a low simmer, stirring often until the pasta is cooked, 13 -15 minutes.
  6. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in meatballs and heat through.
  7. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Maple Bean Soup

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Hearty beans and sweet maple come together in this delicious soup that’s made in 15 minutes using ingredients you have in your pantry.

Hearty beans and sweet maple come together in this delicious soup that's made in 15 minutes using ingredients you have in your pantry.

If you’ve got some maple syrup in your fridge or cupboard, and a few cans of beans, you’ve got what you need to make a delicious soup in no time at all.

The inspiration for this soup came from the cans of baked beans that have maple in them. I just loved that flavor combination and wanted it in other things, like soup!

This soup comes together really quickly mostly because the canned ingredients are already fully cooked so all you’re doing is mixing everything together and heating it up.

To start, if you have any cured meats on hand, they’re great in this soup (but they’re optional). Get out your soup pot and brown the chopped up cured meat in the pot. If it’s bacon, you don’t need to add any oil first, just cook it. If it’s ham or kielbasa or another kind of sausage, add a tablespoon of cooking oil to the pot, heat it up, then brown the chopped cured meat in there. Once it’s browned, you add the next ingredients directly to the pot.

If you’re not using any cured meat, you just start by adding ingredients to the soup pot. You add some chicken stock, canned pinto beans, canned diced tomatoes, canned carrots, maple syrup, and chili powder. Get that heating up.

While it’s heating, you mix together some flour and some more chicken stock. Then add that to the soup. It will thicken it slightly as it heats, giving the soup a bit more body.

That’s pretty much it. Heat it all the way through, stir it, taste it, add salt and pepper, if you’d like. Then finish it off with another drizzle of maple syrup and eat. I hope you love it!

Christine 🙂

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Maple Bean Soup

Contributor: Christine Pittman
Hearty beans and sweet maple come together in this delicious soup that’s made in 15 minutes using ingredients you have in your pantry.
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • Optional cured meat*
  • 2 and ½ cups low sodium chicken stock, divided
  • 3 (16 oz.) cans low-sodium pinto beans (undrained)
  • 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes (I prefer petite diced), with juice
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can sliced carrots, drained
  • 3 Tbsp. maple syrup, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  1. Put a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 cups of the chicken broth, pinto beans (with liquid), diced tomatoes (with juice), carrots, 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup, and the chili powder. Stir, cover, and heat.
  2. While the soup is heating, put the flour in a mason jar and add the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth. Put the lid on tightly and shake it all around until well-mixed.
  3. While stirring the soup, add the contents of the mason jar to soup pot. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring often.
  4. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and serve.

Notes

If you have any bacon, ham, or kielbasa or other cured meat (especially anything with a smoky flavor), before Step #1, cook the chopped cured meat in the pot in a bit of oil if needed until browned. Then add the ingredients from Step #1 being sure to scrape up any brownings from the bottom of the pot so they mix with the liquid. Use 4-6 strips bacon, 1 cup finely chopped ham, or 1 cup finely chopped kielbasa.

Pantry Pizza Soup

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If you’re stuck at home and missing pizza, don’t worry! You can make this pizza soup using only pantry ingredients in under 15 minutes. It’s quick, satisfying, and so delicious!

If you're stuck at home and missing pizza, don't worry! You can make this pizza soup using only pantry ingredients in under 15 minutes. It's quick, satisfying, and so delicious!

 

If you’re in a situation where all of your local restaurants have shut down, and you’re craving pizza, I’ve got you covered. This pizza soup has all the flavors of pizza but is made completely from pantry ingredients.

Honestly, the only ingredient in this soup that isn’t a pantry staple is the mozzarella cheese. If you don’t have any mozzarella cheese in your fridge, you can use any cheese that you do have. If you don’t have any cheese at all in your fridge, a good sprinkling of powdered grated Parmesan cheese (you know, from that shelf-stable green container) does the trick.

To start, if you have an onion and/or a bell pepper, chop those up and saute them in a soup pot in some oil. If you don’t have those, it’s totally fine. Just start putting your canned ingredients into the pot. Go in with some beef stock, canned diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Note that if you happen to have the kind of diced tomatoes that also has chopped bell pepper and onion in it, use those. That way you get that supreme-pizza pepper-and-onion thing going on.

Also add in some seasonings. I like oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. You could add basil too.

Let all of that come up to a boil and then reduce the heat. Now you stir in your real pizza toppings. Canned mushrooms, black olives, and some sliced pepperoni are where it’s at!

That all simmers together for a few minutes. Then you just ladle the soup into bowls and top it with cheese. Yum! I hope you find this soup as fun and tasty as I do!

Christine xo

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Pantry Pizza Soup

Contributor: Christine Pittman
If you’re stuck at home and missing pizza, don’t worry! You can make this pizza soup using only pantry ingredients in under 15 minutes. It’s quick, satisfying, and so delicious!
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • Optional vegetables*
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 (28oz. can) petite diced tomatoes**
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
  • 1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
  • a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 (6 oz.) package of shelf-stable sliced pepperoni, roughly chopped
  • 6 oz. jarred or canned sliced mushrooms, drained
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives, drained
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Put a large pot or Dutch oven on high heat. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir and cover. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low.
  2. Stir in the pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors.
  3. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella, if using, and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

*If you have any of the following vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in the pot you’re going to use to make the soup. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Then add the ingredients specified in Step #1 and continue with the recipe. Optional vegetables: 1 small onion (chopped), 1 green bell pepper (chopped).

**If you have a can of diced tomatoes that also contains bell pepper and onions, use that.

Pantry Fajitas

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You can absolutely make fajitas from pantry ingredients. The trick is to use quinoa and beans as the proteins, then add any other traditional fajita toppings that you have on hand.

You can absolutely make fajitas from pantry ingredients. The trick is to use quinoa and beans as the proteins, then add any other traditional fajita toppings that you have on hand.

 

Just because you’re short on fresh ingredients doesn’t mean that you can’t have fajitas for dinner. In fact, this fajita recipe is a great one for using up your pantry staples.

Fajitas usually center around what kind of meat/protein you’re going to have (chicken, steak, or shrimp, usually). For this recipe the protein instead comes from quinoa and black beans.

Quinoa is a seed that is cooked like a grain. You basically cook it the same was as rice. It’s cooked the same way but it’s different in that it has a lot of protein. Combined with the beans, that makes these vegetarian fajitas really satisfying.

What you do is to cook the quinoa together with some drained canned diced tomatoes, drained black beans, water, and seasonings. Then you put the mixture into tortillas. You can then top the fajitas with any number of things that you might have on hand. Toppings from the pantry include salsa, sliced black olives, and jarred jalapeno rings. If you have some cheese in your fridge, shred some up and put that in there, along with chopped tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and green onions, if you have them. But if you only have the pantry items, don’t even worry – they’re still going to be some delicious fajitas!

Have a tasty day!

Christine 🙂

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Pantry Fajitas

Contributor: Christine Pittman
You can absolutely make fajitas from pantry ingredients. The trick is to use quinoa and beans as the proteins, then add any other traditional fajita toppings that you have on hand.
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • Optional vegetables*
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can low-sodium black beans, drained
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
  • Optional toppings**

Instructions

  1. Into a large skillet that has a lid, combine water or stock, quinoa, black beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and smoked paprika.
  2. Set heat to high and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until all liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft, about 13-16 minutes.
  4. Remove the skillet from the heat and uncover. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
  5. Serve the quinoa mixture in flour tortillas with the optional toppings.

Notes

*If you have any of the following, heat the skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Then saute the vegetables in the oil, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-5 minutes. After that, proceed with Step #1 but add the ingredients to the skillet with your cooked vegetables. Optional vegetables to include, use all or some or all of these: 1 small onion (chopped), 1 bell pepper (chopped), 2 ribs of celery (finely chopped), 2 carrots (shredded), 8 oz. mushrooms (chopped).

**If you have any of the following, add them to your fajitas as toppings: sliced black olives, jarred jalapeno slices, salsa, diced avocado, guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, cilantro, sour cream or Greek yogurt.

No Boil Pasta Bake

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This pasta bake uses pantry ingredients and uncooked pasta. Yes, really. You simply put the ingredients into a casserole, cover it with foil, and bake it. And hey, it’s really delicious too!

This pasta bake uses pantry ingredients and uncooked pasta. Yes, really. You simply put the ingredients into a casserole, cover it with foil, and bake it. And hey, it's really delicious too!

 

I didn’t believe it was possible either, but seriously, you can just mix the ingredients in the casserole, cover it, and bake it, without having to pre-boil the pasta. And it turns out amazing!

There are a few key things that you need to do though.

  1. Make sure that the pasta is completely submerged in liquid.
  2. Cover the casserole very tightly with foil. Use a double layer to make it even more air tight.
  3. After the pasta is finished in the oven, let it sit in the casserole on the counter uncovered for at least 15 minutes. This is because the sauce needs to absorb into the pasta and thicken a bit. Resting helps it to do this.

If you follow those instructions, you will have a delicious no-boil pasta dinner ready for you in no time.

One other thing, I call this a pantry pasta bake because almost all of the ingredients come from the pantry. The only one that doesn’t is the cheese. I’m sorry about that, but I just can’t have a pasta bake without cheese and as far as I know, there’s no such thing as canned cheese. I guess we could have gone with a jar or box of processed cheese (like queso or velveeta) but that just seemed wrong. You can totally try it though and let us know how it turned out!

I hope you love this pasta dinner as much as we all do! Have a tasty day,

Christine 🙂

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No Boil Pantry Pasta Bake

Contributor: Christine Pittman
This pasta bake uses pantry ingredients and uncooked pasta. Yes, really. You simply put the ingredients into a casserole, cover it with foil, and bake it. And hey, it’s really delicious too!
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 oz. uncooked dried pasta shells
  • 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini or kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with the juice
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 cups evaporated milk*
  • heavy duty aluminum foil
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2 and 1/2 to 3 quart shallow casserole dish with olive oil.
  2. To the casserole dish add the uncooked pasta, beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir.
  3. Pour the evaporated milk over top and make sure that all of the pasta is submerged.
  4. Cover with two layers of aluminum foil and make sure it is very well sealed.
  5. Put it in the oven until the pasta is tender, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven, take off the aluminum foil, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan.
  6. Return to oven uncovered and bake just until cheese has melted, 5 minutes.
  7. Important: Take the pasta out of the oven. Let the pasta rest on the counter uncovered for 15 minutes before serving. This is important as the sauce really thickens up in this time.

Notes

*When you mix together milk with something acidic like tomatoes and heat it up, sometimes it can curdle. I’ve found that the higher content of full-fat milk makes this less likely here, so do not use fat-free or 1% or 2% milk or evaporated milk. Use the regular evaporated milk or fresh whole milk. If it does curdle though, don’t worry about it. It is still completely safe to eat and is still completely delicious, it just looks like you added some ricotta to the dish before baking it!

Pantry Chili

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No onions? No peppers? No meat? No problem! You can make this homemade chili using only ingredients found in your pantry!

No onions? No peppers? No meat? No problem! You can make this homemade chili using only ingredients found in your pantry!

If you’re like me, you have a go-to chili method that you usually use. I can totally make a big pot of chili in my sleep. But what happens when I don’t have the ingredients that I usually use? Then I improvise.

One day, that improvisation led me to this recipe. I didn’t have any onions or peppers or garlic, three things that I ALWAYS put in chili. What I did have was a jar of salsa that contained those very ingredients. Into the chili pot that salsa went. And…and…and…it was so good!

Nowadays I often put salsa into my chili, even if I do have all the other ingredients in there.

To make this pantry chili, get out a nice-sized pot. Into it put a big can of diced tomatoes, 2 regular-sized cans of kidney beans, 2 cans of any other kinds of legumes that you like (pinto and lentils are two of my favorites here), and a jar of salsa. Then you add some chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.

You can add some hot sauce if you’d like. It really depends on how hot the salsa is that you added so I’d advise that you wait until the very end to add any heat.

Then you just heat that pot up and let it simmer a bit. The salsa adds flavor but also this blendedness, as though the whole pot has been simmering all day.

Finally, if you’d like to add meat to this chili you totally can. If you’re trying to stick with the pantry-only concept, then you can go with canned ground beef. If you have it, you can instead cook up 1-2 pounds of ground beef or ground chicken and add that. Just season it well with salt, pepper, and some chili powder while it’s cooking. Alternative you can add a couple cups of cooked (diced or shredded) chicken or pork. Note that if you’re adding all that meat, I’d skip one or two cans of legumes.

That’s it though. This is delicious chili that only uses pantry ingredients and is ready lickety-split! Enjoy!

Christine xo

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Pantry Chili

Contributor: Christine Pittman
No onions? No peppers? No meat? No problem! You can make this homemade chili using only ingredients found in your pantry!
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 6 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 13 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1–28oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2–15oz cans reduced-sodium kidney beans, drained
  • 2 (15oz.) cans other legumes, drained
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa (that’s about 2 cups)
  • 2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Optional meat*
  • Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, combine the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, legumes, salsa, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
  2. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in optional meat, if using. Allow to heat through for 2 minutes.
  4. Taste and add some hot sauce if desired, and more salt if you’d like. Serve.

Notes

*If you would like to add meat to this chili, remove the two cans of “other” legumes, and add 2 (14 oz.) cans of cooked ground beef in the final step. Or, you can add one of the following (uncanned) cooked meats in the final step: Cooked seasoned ground beef or ground chicken (1-2 pounds), cooked diced or shredded chicken (2-3 cups), or cooked pulled pork (2-3 cups). If you have some cured meat that you’d like to add, do not omit the “other” legumes but do add one of: One cup diced cooked or smoked ham, 6 strips of bacon (cooked and chopped), or 1 cup of kielbasa (finely chopped).

One Skillet Tex-Mex Rice Bowls

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If you’re missing those fast food rice bowls, never fear! Here’s a Tex-Mex version that’s made in one skillet and uses pantry ingredients so you can get your fix anytime!
If you're missing those fast food rice bowls, never fear! Here's a Tex-Mex version that's made in one skillet and uses pantry ingredients so you can get your fix anytime!

 

I love rice bowls like the ones you get at Chipotle. My kids love them too, so they make for a perfect mid-week dinner. This version is extra amazing since it’s all made in one skillet AND it uses all pantry ingredients. That means that I can always have the ingredients on hand to whip it up with a moment’s notice.

The basic part of these Tex-Mex bowls is long grain rice that is cooked in broth with canned diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Then you stir in some jarred queso. To serve it, you top it with salsa, sliced black olives, and jarred jalapeno rings (drained). That’s it!

Well, that’s not quite it. You can totally add non-pantry ingredients to this dinner to make it even better.

If you have some cooked meat, you can add that after the rice has cooked and just let it heat through a bit. You can go with cubed cooked chicken, pork, or beef, ground beef, ground chicken/turkey, or cooked shrimp for sure. The other thing you can do is to add cured meat like diced ham or cooked bacon or kielbasa.

When you serve these rice bowls, you can leave them as described above, or you can add some Tex-Mex flair by topping each serving with any of the following that you have on hand: diced fresh tomatoes, green onions, avocado, guacamole, shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, or Greek yogurt.

I bet you’re totally understanding why I like this dinner so much. It truly is a breeze, it uses ingredients that I always have, and it can be spruced up even more if I have extra tasty stuff in the fridge. I’m so excited that I want to go make some right now! I hope you do too!

Christine xo

 

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One Pan Mexican Skillet Dinner

Contributor: Christine Pittman
If you’re missing those fast food rice bowls, never fear! Here’s a Tex-Mex version that’s made in one skillet and uses pantry ingredients so you can get your fix anytime!
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tsp. cooking oil
  • 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can black beans, drained
  • 1 cup chicken or beef broth
  • 1/2 cup jarred queso or melted velveeta
  • Optional meat*
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 2 Tbsp. jarred jalapeno rings, drained
  • Optional toppings***

Instructions

  1. In a deep large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the rice, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir for a minute.
  2. Add the canned diced tomatoes, black beans, and broth. Stir.
  3. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover (if your skillet doesn’t have a lid, use a double layer of aluminum foil or a large cookie sheet).
  4. Cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
  5. Stir in the queso and any cooked meat, if using. Allow to heat through for 2 minutes.
  6. Top each serving with salsa, black olives, jalapenos, and any other optional toppings that you’d like.

Notes

*You can use 2 cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken, cooked ground beef or chicken, pulled pork, or cooked shrimp.

 

***If you have any of the following ingredients, top each serving with some or all of them: diced fresh tomatoes, green onions, shredded cheese or crumbled queso fresco, cilantro, diced avocado, guacamole, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

Tortilla Soup

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This tortilla soup is made with pantry ingredients, and it’s super quick too. If you have extra ingredients on hand, you can add them on as toppings!

This tortilla soup is made with pantry ingredients, and it's super quick too. If you have extra ingredients on hand, you can add them on as toppings!

I really love Mexican and Tex-Mex style soups. The flavors are bold and fun, and you can add so many tasty things.

For this pantry version of Tortilla Soup, the basics of the soup are all ingredients that you can find in your pantry. But then, you can add a bunch of different extra things if you have them.

Possible toppings include sliced olives and jarred jalapenos (both pantry items) and then things like fresh diced tomatoes, avocado, green onion, cilantro, and sour cream. Whatever you have, go ahead and add it!

As to the soup itself, there are two ingredients that really make it incredible. The first is possibly surprising. It’s salsa! Yes, there’s a whole cup of salsa in this soup. The salsa has some heat and some acidity. That means that when you add it to the soup, those flavors get spread right through it. It ends up tasting like a soup that’s been simmering for hours even though it only takes 15-ish minutes to make.

The second ingredient that really makes this soup delicious is not as surprising since it’s named in the title: Tortillas! What we mean here is crunchy tortilla chips. What you do is to crunch a few into a soup bowl before serving. Ladle the soup on top of those broken up chips. The soup will soften them and then the tortilla flavor will spread through the soup. Then, after ladling in the soup, you crunch a few more chips on top. These ones will stay crunchy and add texture. So good, right?

I hope you love this soup as much as I do!

Christine xo

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Tortilla Soup

Contributor: Christine Pittman
This tortilla soup is made with pantry ingredients, and it’s super quick too. If you have extra ingredients on hand, you can add them on as toppings!
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1–28oz. can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup medium-heat low-sodium chunky salsa
  • 1 (15.25 oz.) can low-sodium black beans, drained
  • 24 tortilla chips
  • Optional Meat*
  • Optional Toppings**

Instructions

  1. Put a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove over high heat. Pour in the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and salsa. Cover and let it come to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
  2. Add the black beans and optional meat, if using. Let everything heat through for 2 minutes.
  3. To serve: Get out soup bowls and crunch 2 tortillas into each bowl. Ladle soup into the bowls on top of tortilla chips. Crunch another 2 tortillas onto the top of each. Garnish with optional toppings, if desired.

Notes

*If you’d like meat in this soup, you can add 2 cups of cubed or shredded cooked chicken, beef, or pork. You can also use 2 cups of cooked ground meat like ground beef or ground chicken. 3/4 pound of cooked shrimp is lovely in there. Or you can add some cured meat like chopped smoked turkey lunchmeat, cubed ham, chopped cooked bacon, or chopped kielbasa or other fully-cooked sausage.

**If you have any of the following, add all or some of them as garnishes to the tops of the bowls of soup right before serving. Per bowl of soup add: 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar or other cheese, 2 tablespoons diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped avocado, 1 tablespoon sliced black olives, 1 tablespoon chopped green onion, 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, some jarred (drained) or fresh sliced jalapeno.

One Pan Chickpea and Kielbasa Dinner

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This has been one of my go-to dinners for 2 decades, and it’s because I can always have the ingredients on hand and it’s then super-quick to whip up. And it tastes amazing too!
This has been one of my go-to dinners for 2 decades, and it's because I can always have the ingredients on hand and it's then super-quick to whip up. And it tastes amazing too!

 

It’s true, I’ve been making this recipe for over 2 decades! My grandmother gave me a cookbook that had this recipe in it. I made it, and love it, and then started adapting it to use ingredients that I tend to have on hand.

This is a great pantry dinner because it uses canned chickpeas and canned diced tomatoes as the base. Then I use kielbasa, which is a great cured meat to have in the fridge all the time because it adds so much flavor to soups and, well, to anything you make. If you don’t have kielbasa, you can use chunks of ham, or bacon, or cooked chicken, or any cooked meat.

The recipe also optionally contains some fresh chopped onion and bell pepper. If you don’t have those though, you can use canned green beans, corn, or peas (drained).

All that you do to make this dinner is to put everything into a cake pan or casserole dish and then cover it (use the pan’s own cover if it has its own, like this, or you can use a shallow casserole dish with cover, like this, or use foil).

Then you bake it at 400°F until heated through, about 25 minutes. Stir and dig in!

Enjoy!

Christine xo

 

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One Pan Chickpea and Kielbasa Dinner

Contributor: Christine Pittman
This has been one of my go-to dinners for 2 decades, and it’s because I can always have the ingredients on hand and it’s then super-quick to whip up. And it tastes amazing too!
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 (15 oz.) cans low-sodium chickpeas, drained
  • 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 12 oz. kielbasa, chopped
  • Optional chopped or canned vegetables*
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  2. In a 9×13″ baking dish combine chickpeas, tomatoes, kielbasa, any optional vegetables, cumin, and black pepper.
  3. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or with foil and bake until heated through, 25 minutes.

Notes

*If you have some onion and/or bell pepper add these as well. Use one small chopped onion and one chopped bell pepper. Alternatively, you can use a can of green beans, corn, or peas (drained).

Black Bean Soup

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This black bean soup uses pantry ingredients and comes together in under 15 minutes.

This black bean soup uses pantry ingredients and comes together in under 15 minutes.

 

Black Bean Soup is one of the simplest pantry meals you can make since its main ingredient, black beans, comes from the pantry. The key to a delicious black bean soup is to use some other flavorful ingredients. One of my favorite things to add to boost soup flavors is cured meats like ham, bacon, or kielbasa (check out this Kale and Kielbassa Soup to see what I mean!).

For today’s Black Bean Soup, we’ve added some Canadian bacon. I love Canadian bacon because it is so lean while having so much flavor. You can use ham, kielbasa, or cooked bacon if you have any of those instead. A little bit of cured meat really goes a long way to make pantry meals tasty! (Note that you can skip the meat entirely and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make this a vegetarian soup).

To make the soup, you lightly brown the Canadian bacon or ham in some oil first. Then in a blender you puree together canned (or cooked) black beans, canned diced tomatoes, garlic powder, chicken stock, salt, and pepper.

Heat up that black bean mixture in a pot and then stir in the Canadian bacon. Once it’s heated through, remove it from the heat and stir in some lime juice. If you have fresh limes, you can alternatively serve the soup with lime wedges on the side. But, if you keep a bottle of lime juice in your fridge, this is a good place to use a dribble or two of it.

Then you just ladle the hot soup into bowls. If you have some fresh ingredients like tomatoes, jalapenos, cheese, avocado, or cilantro, you can top the bowls of soup with that, but the soup is good straight up on its own too!

 

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Quick Black Bean Soup

Contributor: Christine Pittman
This black bean soup uses pantry ingredients and comes together in under 15 minutes.
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 oz. Canadian bacon or ham
  • 3–15 oz. low-sodium black beans
  • 1–15 oz. canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 2 tsp. lime juice
  • Optional garnishes: chopped tomato, minced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado, lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the Canadian bacon slices. Cook until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Remove to a cutting board.
  2. Meanwhile, empty the cans of black beans and diced tomatoes with their liquid to a large blender, along with the garlic powder, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Pulse until all is in very small pieces (if your blender isn’t big enough, do this in two batches).
  3. Put the bean mixture in the pot over medium-high heat and cover it, stirring every few minutes until heated through.
  4. Meanwhile, finely chop the Canadian bacon and add it to the soup.
  5. Remove soup from heat. Stir in the lime juice.
  6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with optional garnishes, if desired.

Notes

Skip the Canadian bacon and use vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian!

Instant Pot Goulash

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Thanks to the Instant Pot you can have a comforting one pot American-style goulash in no time. Plus, cooking it under pressure infuses all those flavors while it cooks.

Thanks to the Instant Pot you can have a comforting one pot American-style goulash in no time. Plus, cooking it under pressure infuses all those flavors while it cooks. 

What Is American Goulash?

American-style goulash is a fast one pot meal made with ground beef, canned tomatoes, pasta and paprika. This comfort dish is perfect for weeknight dinner and has a different name depending where you live in the country. You may know it as Macaroni and Beef, Slumgullion or American Chop Suey.

You will find that ingredients also vary a little in each of these types of American goulash, but I made the basic version of the recipe using only ground beef, tomatoes and elbow pasta. Another fun fact I found is that it was very popular in school cafeterias some years ago. Is this a dish from your school years?

What Beef Should You Use For Instant Pot Goulash?

The best meat for American goulash is ground beef, which cooks very quickly. I like to use lean ground beef but you could use any type you want. Feel free to swap in ground chicken or turkey also if you don’t use beef.

How To Make Goulash In The Instant Pot

Making goulash in your Instant Pot is very quick and requires only a few ingredients. Best of all, you don’t sacrifice flavor by making it this way. If anything, you infuse those flavors together faster. First, set your Instant Pot to saute, add onion and cook for about 2 minutes. After that, add beef and saute for about 6-8 minutes. When the meat is browned with barely any pink remaining, you can add the sauce.

To make the delicious sauce, add beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, paprika and black pepper. After that, add elbow macaroni.

Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the seal and set it to Manual, then select 5 minutes. Yes, only 5 minutes is required to make this comforting dish. After 5 minutes of cooking, do a quick release and enjoy dinner.

Helpful Tips For Making Instant Pot Goulash

  • I used the IP Lux 80 model so keep in mind you may have slightly different results if you use a different model.
  • Make sure to stir the onion and ground beef during sauteing. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of your Instant Pot.
  • Remove the goulash from the Instant Pot after cooking rather than letting it sit there on warm. You don’t want your pasta to become soggy.
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Instant Pot Goulash

Contributor: Ilona Orzechowska

Thanks to the Instant Pot you can have a comforting one pot American-style goulash in no time. Plus, cooking it under pressure infuses all those flavors while it cooks.

  • Author: Ilona Orzechowska
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 5 cups no salt added beef broth (or homemade beef bone broth)
  • 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  • 3 cups elbow macaroni

Instructions

  1. Turn your Instant Pot to Saute, press Adjust and select More. Once the Instant Pot reads Hot, add oil and onion. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir often.
  2. Add ground beef and saute for 6-8 minutes, crumbling the meat as it browns.
  3. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, paprika and black pepper.
  4. Add elbow macaroni and stir.
  5. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to seal. Select Manual and set to cook for 5 minutes.
  6. After 5 minutes, turn the valve to Venting for Quick Release.
  7. Remove the goulash from the Instant Pot to prevent overcooking.

Instant Pot Chili

By

Thanks to the Instant Pot you can have a hearty  bowl of chili on the table in no time. And it still tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. What a win.

Thanks to the Instant Pot you can have a hearty  bowl of chili on the table in no time. And it still tastes like it's been simmering for hours. What a win.

What kind of beef should you use?

You can use stew meat cut into small pieces if you’d like, but the best meat to use in chili is ground beef because it cooks the fastest. You can also swap beef out for any other type of ground meat you’d like. I like to use a lean ground beef because it has less fat, but use the one you prefer.

Do you have to use canned tomatoes or can you substitute fresh?

While using canned tomatoes is the quickest way to make chili, you can also use fresh tomatoes instead. Make sure to dice the tomatoes rather than leaving them whole. You will need approximately 1 and 3/4 cups of diced tomatoes to replace the canned tomatoes in this recipe.

Do I have to add beans?

There’s some debate whether chili is really chili without the beans, but we’ll let you off the hook. You can make your chili with beans or no beans. Feel free to switch up the type of bean if you want. Cannellini or black beans work great too.

Want our secret tips to making the richest most flavorful chili in less time?

  • The first secret is to add a little chocolate. For real. You can add a bit of dark chocolate if you want but cocoa powder is perfectly fine. Your chili won’t taste like chocolate but it enhances the flavors.
  • Our second secret is to add just a bit of smokey flavor. This is easiest to do by adding smoked paprika. If you don’t already own smoked paprika, don’t worry about it being a waste to buy. You’ll have plenty of uses for it if you make your own BBQ Sauce or add our Instant Pot Beef Brisket to your meal plan.
  • Our third secret is using the Instant Pot. You can brown the meat right in the pot on Sauté then add the rest of the ingredients and cook the chili under pressure. This not only cooks the recipe faster than on the stove top, but it also infuses the flavors together quicker. Just like that, dinner is served.
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Instant Pot Chili

Contributor: Ilona Orzechowska

Thanks to the Instant Pot you can have a hearty  bowl of chili on the table in no time. And it still tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. What a win.

  • Author: Ilona Orzechowska
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 lb. lean ground beef
  • 4 cups no salt added beef broth or Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth
  • 1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 (16 oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté, press Adjust and select More.
  2. Once the Instant Pot reads Hot, add oil, onion and bell pepper. Sauté for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Add ground beef and Sauté for 10 minutes, crumbling the meat into small pieces with a spoon. Drain the excess fat if necessary.
  4. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
  5. Seal the lid and set the venting knob to seal. Set your Instant Pot to Manual and select 20 minutes.
  6. After 20 minutes, allow the Instant Pot to release the pressure naturally for 20 minutes. Then turn the knob to Venting for Quick Release.
  7. Once the pressure is released, open the lid and stir in the beans and heat on Sauté for a few minutes before serving.
A bowl of this hearty Instant Pot Chili is the perfect way to end a long day. – #TheCookful

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Tomato Chutney

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Who knew you can make a traditional tomato chutney in your own kitchen? You’ll be surprised how easy it is to prepare tomato chutney with fresh ingredients that you can find in your local store.

Who knew you can make a traditional tomato chutney in your own kitchen? You'll be surprised how easy it is to prepare tomato chutney with fresh ingredients that you can find in your local store.
The primary ingredients in tomato chutney are red or green tomatoes. You can use them in any way: diced, mashed or crushed. However, for today’s recipe we will use diced red tomatoes.

To enhance the flavor of the tomatoes, we add diced onions and freshly chopped ginger. Then, we need to add some sweet and tangy ingredients. Instead of using regular vinegar, add wine vinegar that has a fruity accent. A little bit of sugar, sweet paprika and salt is also necessary to make our tomato chutney tasty. And of course, in the end we need a little spiciness, which we get by adding chili powder.

Once the tomato chutney is done cooking you can refrigerate it for another day or seve immediately with kebabs, burgers or sandwiches. It will also pair perfectly with any type of meat and is great served over toasted baguette or basic garlic toast.

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Tomato Chutney

Contributor: Ilona Orzechowska

Who knew you can make a traditional tomato chutney in your own kitchen? You’ll be surprised how easy it is to prepare tomato chutney with fresh ingredients that you can find in your local store.

  • Author: Ilona Orzechowska
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 100 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups diced onions
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/3 cup wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. chili powder

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized pot combine tomatoes, onions, pressed garlic, chopped fresh ginger, wine vinegar, sugar, sweet paprika, salt and chili powder.
  2. Cook on high for 10 minutes, mixing often.
  3. Reduce the heat to low, cover tomato chutney and cook for 90 minutes. Mix often to prevent the tomato chutney sticking to the pan.
You’ll bed putting this Tomato Chutney on everything! It’s so good! – #TheCookful

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Christine Pittman

Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking – Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.

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