Easy to Please Chili Soup Bar
We love entertaining friends and family. We’re big football fans and like to have friends over to watch a game or two. And, as you may know, it gets a little chilly in the fall here in Iowa so soup is usually on the menu. And, chili is an absolute favorite. Whether it’s picky eaters or picky adults (we have some of those friends, too!) it’s fun to provide options. I recently decided that a Chili Bar was the way to go for a game day and we had so much fun with it! Everyone at the party loved the idea – especially the kids – and had so much fun designing their own bowl of the oh-so-yummy soup.
To keep everything hot, you could use a Buffet Server and Warming Tray like this one here by Waring, or you could also keep your “juice” and your ground beef warm in crockpots like these ones here. Enjoy the talk of the party! 🙂
Here’s how to make your own Chili Bar.
Purchase what you normally would for a pot of chili. You’re essentially going to separate it out. One pot of chili at my house for about five people includes:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 cans of beans (light kidney, dark kidney, pinto beans and red beans) drained
- 1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (12. oz.) can stewed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 T chili powder (to taste)
- 2 t. cumin powder (to taste)
- Toppings:
- cheese, sour cream, crackers, etc.
Brown and drain ground beef, set aside. Open each of the cans of beans and drain. Set aside in their own bowls. Combine tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes (you can leave those on the side if you really want to, too!), chicken broth, chili powder and cumin and cook over low heat for an hour or so to let flavors combine. Set each bowl in a large area with spoons or ladles in each one so guests can make their own chili concoction. Be sure to leave bowls , spoons and napkins out and get fun with the toppings. 🙂 But, be sure that you’ve got enough “fixins” for each guest. Meat goes quickly in these bars, so plan on beefing up the beef a little. 😉
See more dinner recipes here. Frugal recipes are great on the budget, too.