Yummy Chili

I made chili this week. I know chili is sort of odd choice because it's still 90 degrees here everyday, but it's The Mister's favorite and he made a special request. Because we're trying to eat healthy, I just modified my favorite chili recipe. It was delicious and so healthy. Here's the craziest part - it's a Paula Deen recipe! (It's actually her son Jamie's recipe, but it was featured on an episode of her show.) Who knew Paula Deen had a healthy recipe? Well, here it is:

Jamie's Chili (Recipe adapted from The Food Network )

1 1/4 pounds extra lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper diced
2 cups chopped celery
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 package chili seasoning mix (I use the McCormick Hot Chili seasoning packet)
cumin
cayenne pepper (if you like things spicy)

In a skillet brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes. Add cumin, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, chili seasoning and cayenne pepper(if you're using it). Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours.

For all you WW point counters, each 1 cup serving is only 2.5 points! If you have a few extra points, you can serve this with some light sour cream and 2% shredded cheese. This recipe makes a bunch of chili, so I usually freeze half of it. If you try it, I hope you like it! It's a hit at our house.

(Sorry there are no pictures. Turns out, chili doesn't photograph that well. And I wanted you all to try this. I figured the crummy pictures would significantly reduce the chances of that happening.)