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Meatball chili topped with Fritos, shredded cheese, and sour cream

Chili Meatball Supper (Easy Meatball Chili)

This easy meatball chili combines homemade meatballs with kidney beans, corn, green peppers, and tomatoes. Top it with Fritos, shredded cheese, and sour cream for a hearty, cozy dinner.
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Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Basic Meatballs
  • - 1 egg
  • - 2 tablespoons milk
  • - ½ teaspoon salt
  • - ¼ cup chopped onion
  • - 1 pound ground beef
  • - 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
Chili
  • - 1 bay leaf
  • - 1 cup chopped onion
  • - 1 teaspoon salt
  • - 1–2 teaspoons chili powder I use 1 teaspoon
  • - 1 can corn drained
  • - ¾ cup chopped green pepper
  • - 1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • - 1 16-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • - 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • - 1–2 cups water as needed (I use about 1½ cups)
Toppings
  • - Crushed Fritos or other corn chips
  • - Shredded cheese
  • - Sour cream

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven for simmering the chili
  • Rimmed baking sheet for baking the meatballs
  • Large mixing bowl for mixing the meatballs

Method
 

Make the Meatballs
  1. Combine the egg, milk, salt, chopped onion, ground beef, and breadcrumbs.
  2. Shape into small meatballs, about the size of a whole walnut.
  3. Place the meatballs on an ungreased cookie sheet. They can be placed fairly close together because they will shrink slightly as they bake.
  4. Bake at 375°F for 20–30 minutes, or until cooked through.
Make the Chili
  1. Combine the bay leaf, onion, salt, chili powder, corn, green pepper, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and water in a large pot.
  2. Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. Keep an eye on the liquid so it doesn't simmer away. Add additional water if the chili becomes too thick.
  3. Add the cooked meatballs during the last 10 minutes, just long enough for them to heat through.
  4. Remove the bay leaf and serve topped with crushed Fritos, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Notes

Meatballs: You only need about half of the Basic Meatballs recipe for one batch of chili. Freeze the rest for another meal or make them ahead and refrigerate them until you're ready to make the chili.
Gluten-free option: Substitute gluten-free oats (whole or pulsed in a blender), gluten-free breadcrumbs, or a combination of the two for the soft breadcrumbs. Be sure your corn chips and other packaged ingredients are also gluten free if needed.