Dad's Favourite Chili

This is microwave chili done right, using a smart trick most home cooks have never seen: a plastic colander set inside the casserole catches the rendered fat from the ground beef as it cooks. Lift the colander, pour off the grease, and you’ve got a leaner chili without losing any flavor.

Dry mustard is the secret ingredient that elevates this from generic to genuinely good. Half a teaspoon, barely noticeable on its own, deepens the chili powder and rounds out the tomato’s acidity. Most weeknight chili recipes skip it, and they shouldn’t.

The 5-minute covered rest at the end matters. The chili’s flavors marry and the beans absorb seasoning during that quiet time. Skip it for slightly thinner, less-developed chili; honor it for the proper finish.

Kitchen Tips

• Use 80/20 lean ground beef, leaner can taste dry even in a saucy chili
• Crumble the beef finely in the colander, big chunks won’t cook through evenly in microwave power
• Stir at the halfway point to redistribute heat, microwaves create hot spots
• For deeper flavor, sub fire-roasted tomatoes for plain stewed
• Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped onions for the classic Southwest finish

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of cumin and a half teaspoon of smoked paprika for a more complex flavor profile
• Stir in a diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne for heat
• Substitute black beans for kidney beans, or use a mix