Dehydrated Chili for Chilly Evenings
Preparing dehydrated meals is a great way to make nutritious food which you can store for a long period of time before use. They come in handy in a variety of situations. For example, dehydrated meals are a practical choice for camping and backpacking. They are lightweight, small in size, and easy to prepare. Simply boil some water, add it to the meal, wait a few minutes, and stir. Then, it’s ready to eat. Dehydrated meals are also useful for unexpected guests at your home. Instead of rushing around the kitchen, trying to find ingredients to prepare something from scratch, simply pull out a previously made meal and heat it up quickly. In addition, it is the perfect way to prepare a large meal for many guests. For those who enjoy entertaining many friends or family but want to avoid spending the entire day preparing huge meals, dehydrating food can simplify the process.
There are many types of dehydrated meals, and many people are not sure which to choose. One fantastic meal that is not only easy to prepare, but is sure to be a crowd pleaser is a good chili. This meal is especially popular in the fall or winter when the air is crisp, and a bowl full of warm chili creates a wonderful aroma and warms the belly.
This Beef and Bean Chili recipe is appetizing as well as nutritious. This recipe serves 3-5 people. However, if you want to make more, simply, double or triple the ingredients. This way you make sure that there is enough chili for everyone. Besides, it never hurts to make too much because you can easily save some for another time.
Gather the following ingredients:
· 1 to 1¼ pounds of ground beef
· 1 15 oz. can of red beans (drain the can)
· 1 large onion
· 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
· 1 10 oz. can of tomato puree
· 2-3 cloves of garlic
· cup bread crumbs (finely ground)
· 1 Tbs. olive oil
· 3 Tbsp. chili powder
Directions for preparation:
1. Mix the ground beef and bread crumb in a bowl with your hands, set aside.
2. Pour olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic and onions
3. Add beef mixture. Cook and stir regularly for ten minutes, until brown.
4. Add chili powder. Cook for one minute.
5. Add diced tomatoes, tomato puree, and red beans.
6. Continue to cook until it begins to boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer for one hour.
7. Taste the mixture. Add additional spices if desired.
8. Pour into a large bowl, and place overnight in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to thoroughly absorb together.
Directions for dehydrating:
1. Distribute chili on nonstick sheets or parchment paper. Place them on the dehydrator trays.
2. Dehydrate the chili at 125 for 8-10 hours. Midway through, use a spoon to mix it up a bit and split up any large chunks of meat or beans.
3. When it is dry, separate into individual serving sizes of one cup in plastic zip-lock bags.
4. The end result makes five cups which weigh a total of 12 oz.
To rehydrate the chili, add one cup of dried chili to a pot of boiling water for about five minutes. To make multiple portions, use a large pot and simply add equal amounts of water. Remove from heat and allow ten minutes to rest with the lid on the pot.