Late dinner
Six cups in the fridge means no ladling at eight at night.
The chili simmered hours ago and waits in individual cups, ready to go.
Each kid grabs a cup, hits the microwave, and dinner sorts itself out while you finally sit down.
Ingredients
The list below keeps late-night turkey chili cups sized for serves 6 without turning prep into a long project.
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
How to Make It
Use the method to leave the last step small enough for a tired adult making late-night turkey chili cups.
- Earlier: brown the turkey in a pot, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 165F.
- Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt; simmer 25 minutes.
- Cool the chili and portion it into single-serve cups or jars.
- After practice, reheat a cup until steaming hot, about 2 minutes in the microwave or 6 minutes on the stove.
Do the Slow Part Early
Simmer the full pot of chili before practice so it only needs reheating. Portioning into cups means each kid grabs their own and there is no ladling at 8 p.m.
- Brown the turkey and simmer the chili earlier in the day
- Ladle it into 6 microwave-safe cups once it cools slightly
- Set out the cheese and crackers so reheating is the only step
Store and Reheat
Chili reheats beautifully and even tastes better the next day. Add a splash of broth if it thickened in the fridge.
- Microwave a cup 2 minutes, stirring once, until it steams
- Stovetop: 6 minutes over medium, stirring, with a splash of broth
- Pack it hot in a thermos for a practice-side dinner; keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Serve with: shredded cheddar, saltine crackers
Make It Fit Tonight
Small Tweaks That Help This Dinner Land
Make it a frito pie
Spoon chili over a handful of corn chips and top with cheese.
Use ground beef
Swap the turkey for 80/20 beef for a richer bowl.
Add corn
Stir in a cup of frozen corn during the last 5 minutes of simmering.
Top a baked potato
Ladle it over a microwaved potato for a heartier late dinner.
Thin it into soup
Add another cup of broth so it sips from a thermos at the field.
Plan The Next Step
Stock your reheat cups
Use the planner to keep a batch of single-serve dinners ready for the busy stretch.