My sister told me my 'budget' chili was just expensive soup with beans

She pointed out I was using a $7 jar of fancy sauce and ground turkey, so now I just get a 79 cent can of tomato paste, a $2 packet of seasoning, and whatever cheap protein is on sale, which honestly tastes better and costs about $4 total for a huge pot.

4 comments

4 Comments

milalewis3mo ago

Ever notice how the more you spend on a meal, the worse it tastes sometimes? My fancy chili phase was a total waste of money. The cheap stuff just hits different.

brian_hart3mo ago

Fancy chili just means you're paying for the wrong stuff.

jamesc793mo ago

Was it the fancy beans or the overpriced meat that ruined it? I did the same thing with chili last winter and Brian Hart is right, you end up paying for stuff that doesn't matter. I found the best pot I ever made used cheap canned tomatoes and the basic spice mix from the back of the chili powder tin. The expensive stuff just makes you feel like you have to like it, which kills the whole point.

kellyallen15d ago

I used to be the person buying the $8 grass-fed beef and the fancy smoked paprika from some specialty store, convinced it made my chili better. But after a few bowls that tasted like nothing special, I started experimenting with the cheap stuff and honestly it's night and day. The flavor from a can of stewed tomatoes and some basic chili powder feels more honest somehow, less like you're trying to impress someone. It's weird how a $2 packet can do what a $7 jar couldn't, but I get it now. The simple version just tastes like real chili, not like someone tried too hard.