Homemade Chili and Taco Seasonings

When it starts to get chilly outside that means it is also the start of chili season! We typically make pretty basic chili around here, which used to include buying a package of premixed chili seasoning. Neither of us were really that wild about any of the store bought mixes we tried, so we searched around for a homemade version that we could control the salt, spice and other flavors with. I don't remember exactly where we got this particular recipe, but there are lots of ones like this out there. This also got us thinking about making our own taco seasoning, which we use all the time now! These recipes basically involve dumping various amounts of dried spices together then shaking or mixing them up. You could use an old jar to hold the mixture, just make sure to get something with a nice tight lid. If you place a cute label on the outside, you could even give these as gifts :) I would recommend double or tripling these recipes so you aren't always having to mix up new batches. Oh, and the 1/2 tablespoon measurement is kind of weird, but just eyeball it, the mix will still turn out good. I'll share my basic chili and taco recipes with these mixes too since they really are so simple that the don't need their own post.

Chili Seasoning

Use 2 tablespoons of the mixture per 1 pound of meat

4 t. Chili powder

1 T. Crushed red pepper

1 T. Dried minced onion

1 T. dried minced garlic (or 1/2 T. Garlic powder - that's what I use instead)

2 t. Sugar

2 t. Cumin

2 t. Dried Parsley

1 t. Salt

1 t. Dried basil

1/4 t. Black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.

For basic chili, I like to use 1 pound ground beef (or turkey), 2 cans of kidney beans, 1 can of stewed tomatoes (pureed), and 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (pureed), plus 2 tablespoons of this seasoning. Cook the beef or turkey first, then add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes until you're ready to eat. If you're looking for a chicken chili recipe, I recommend this one: Creamy Chicken Ranch Chili. It's so easy with the crock pot!

Taco Seasoning
Use 2 tablespoons of the mixture per 1 pound of meat

2 T. Chili powder
1 1/2 T. Paprika
1 T. Onion powder
1/2 T. Salt (can use less if desired)
1/2 T. Garlic powder
1/2 T. Cumin
1/2 T. Oregano
Dash of red and black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container

For basic taco filling, I like to use 1 pound of ground beef (or turkey), 1 can of fat free re-fried beans, 1/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons of this seasoning. Cook the beef or turkey first, then add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking for a few minutes. I like adding the re-fried beans because it makes it kind of like a burrito filling, plus it makes more taco filling using less meat.

Well, now it's off to finish prepping the piano room for paint. I can't wait to get some changes made in there so I can show y'all! Thanks for reading!