3 Frugal Chili Recipes Made From Scratch
If we keep our pantry stocked we can make so many recipes from scratch. I am sharing 3 frugal chili recipes made from scratch today, so get your slow cookers ready! Some of these recipes I make right around Halloween because to me Halloween is chili and homemade doughnuts! I have a really good doughnut recipe I made for about 20 years I will share with you very soon. Let’s fill our pantry with case lot sales of the food items we use every day, or at least weekly.
This is my favorite slow cooker: Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker
Frugal Chili Recipes
White Chili With Chicken
- 3 cans 15 ounces each of small white beans (not drained)
- 2 cans 12.5 ounces each can of chicken (drained) or 2 cups freeze-dried chicken pieces
- 1 stick butter or reconstituted powdered butter equal to one cube
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated or freeze dried-reconstituted
- ¼ ounce can of diced green chilies
- ¼ cup freeze-dried onions or 1 onion chopped
- 16- ounce jar of salsa
- sour cream to garnish
- Tortilla chips crushed for garnish
- Combine all the ingredients and set it on low in a pan or slow cooker for 6-8 hours. It is so comforting to know you can have all the ingredients to make this delicious meal right in your pantry or food storage closet and don’t have to travel to the store. I think this recipe not only tastes great, and with the chicken and beans, it's high in protein. My grandkids loved this meal and actually asked for seconds. We were able to put the leftover chili in the fridge for a second meal over the weekend. You could also make a batch and put it in the freezer for future entertaining or a quick meal when you are on the run. Just pull it out, put it in the microwave and you are set.
It is still a little cool here so the slow cooker white chicken chili was a real hit tonight for dinner. This is such a great soup to make for a crowd because you can just add another can of beans…..yep we always have enough to feed anyone who shows up for dinner…that’s how we roll here…enjoy!
Wheat Chili by Food Storage Moms
- one pound hamburger fried or 1-1/2 cups freeze-dried hamburger
- 3/4 cup chopped onion or 1/2 cup freeze-dried onion
- 1 garlic clove minced or 1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
- 2 cups cooked whole wheat Here is how I make cooked whole wheat: 1 cup washed whole wheat berries, 3 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, place all the ingredients in a slow cooker on low at night for 9-10 hours (UPDATED-I have a new Crock Pot and it cooks faster) and you will have cooked wheat in the morning. Please note I got an email from another person named Linda and she mentioned the following: I cooked wheat for the first time in a slow cooker last night. I used exactly the amounts that you suggested.It was too crunchy. I figure that I will need to cook only 8 or 10 hours and/or add more water. Me: I am thinking everyone must check their own slow cookers for the cooking times because some may cook faster or hotter. Drain the excess water and use it in recipes like you would rice or quinoa. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also eat it with milk and honey!
- 6 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 5 cups beef broth
- one- 6 ounce can tomato paste
Chili Con Carne
- 3 pounds of cooked hamburger drained or 6 to 7 cups freeze-dried hamburger
- 3 onions chopped or 3 cups freeze-dried onions
- 3/4 cups of chopped celery or 1/2 cup freeze-dried chopped celery
- 2 cloves of garlic minced or 1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 10-3/4 ounce can tomato soup
- 3-15 ounce cans red kidney beans
- 3 6-ounce cans of tomato paste
- 1 10-ounce can of Rotel or diced tomatoes
- Combine all of the ingredients except the kidney beans in a slow cooker and set on low for 6-8 hours. Add the kidney beans the last hour of cooking. Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese, and chopped green onions. Serves 8-10 people.
Here’s to cutting our grocery bill by cooking frugal chili recipes made from scratch. This size slow cooker is great for one or two people: Cuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
These all sound wonderful Linda! I’m going to get some wheat soaking now and try that wheat chili. I’ve got some elk burger in the freezer, so I can defrost that while the wheat cooks, and everything else in the cupboards, so I’m ready to go.
Have a great day!
Big hugs to you, Mare
Hi Mare, it really does taste good! Hugs, to you!
I made the wheat chili and shared it with some people at work. They loved it and were amazed when I told them the ingredient they couldn’t identify was wheat! Thanks, again, for sharing these incredible chilies! Hugs, Mare
Hi Mare, I love hearing you took the chili to work! You rock!
How long do you cook the white chicken chilli
Hi Maggie, thank you for catching that for me! I cook mine on low for 6-8 hours. It is so yummy! Thanks again, Linda
Since we’re talking prepping, can you tell us how to prepare your recipes w/o a slow cooker which we couldn’t use if we had no electricity – perhaps in a fireplace, grill or campfire? Honestly, I haven’t tried any recipes YET but they all sound delicious. Thanks.
Hi Pat, I would have a butane stove with extra canisters to start with. A thermal cooker would work great if you can get the food to come to a boil for 4 full minutes and place the food in the thermal cooker to continue cooking. It’s a slow cooker without electricity AFTER the initial 4 minutes of boiling. My favorite thermal cooker is the Saratoga Jacks thermal cooker.
I cooked wheat for the first time in a slow cooker last night. I used exactly the amounts that you suggested.
It was too crunchy. I figure that I will need to cook only 8 or 10 hours and/or add more water. Looks like I’ll try the wheat chili another day! Thanks for all your ideas!
Hi Linda, I am wondering if your slow cooker cooks at a higher temperature. I am so glad you pointed that out. I am going to go add your comment to the post because there might be others with the same problem. Thanks for letting me know. I have had the same slow cooker for years…LOL! Maybe the newer ones cook hotter! Thanks again, Linda
Hi Linda, thanks for your comment on the cooked whole wheat berries. “Frugal chili recipes made from scratch”. I decided I better invest in a new Crock Pot and sure enough, you are so right about the 12 hours. I am writing a post on Monday on a yummy wheat berry salad and cooked some wheat in the new Crock Pot. It was done at 10 hours. Maybe even 9 hours. Thanks for letting me know your experience. I changed the time on my original post. I guess my old Crock Pot isn’t working like it should. Thanks again for letting me know. Linda