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Mad About Food: Red Chili
Spaghetti sauce adds more veggies, depth of flavor
Michelle Madden
Feb. 19, 2026 6:00 am
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Hello February! From temperatures that are below freezing to highs of 60 degrees, this month’s weather has fluctuated like crazy. Somewhere in between, you can find the perfect day to make this very simple but tasty Red Chili.
My Red Chili is an amalgamation from other chili recipes. This recipe uses pinto beans, but my original recipe uses red kidney beans. This recipe is named Red Chili because it’s made with spaghetti sauce. Yes, spaghetti sauce! It was a favorite of my children as they were growing up and an easy way for me to sneak in veggies.
My original recipe uses a bag of frozen mixed veggies so feel free to make it your own. This chili is very versatile. You can add corn, use ground beef instead of ground turkey or make it a cornbread bowl. I’ve tried them all, and they were all a hit. We even eat this recipe over rice.
However you serve your Red Chili, be sure to make it your own. Don’t be afraid to add a bit of spice or acid.
Now that we have worked up an appetite, let’s roll up our sleeves, wash our hands and get started creating our very own version of Red Chili.
Recipe
Red Chili
Ingredients
2 8-ounce cans chili beans in sauce
1 package chili mix
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1 jar spaghetti sauce
3 tablespoons banana pepper juice with a few banana peppers to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
In a medium stew pot on medium heat, add olive oil, chopped onion and bell peppers with the ground turkey. Cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up the ground turkey until it’s fully cooked. I don’t drain the oil, but you can if you’d like to.
Add in the chili beans in sauce and stir. Then, add in chili mix packet of your choice. Stir until well incorporated.
Add in your banana peppers with juice, spaghetti sauce and sugar; stir and cook on medium low, stirring occasionally until it’s thick.
Let cool 10 minutes then serve with your favorite toppings.
Source: Michelle Madden
Reach Michelle Madden at Da Munchie Plug LLC on Facebook.

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