Italian Style Beef Chili

Italian style beef chili is hearty, satisfying and perfect for feeding a crowd! It has all the familiar and comforting flavors of lasagna, but it’s a chili!

A few weeks ago, I was working on our lasagna soup recipe and totally messed it up. So I improvised, like I often do when recipes don’t turn out the way I hope, and turned that recipe into a chili. It ended up being so fabulous that I had to photograph it and post it here.

Let this be a lesson that sometimes mistakes just end up being happy accidents…thanks Bob Ross!

What is Chili?

Chili is a thick stew that is usually a little spicy and made with peppers, chili powder, meat, tomatoes and often beans.

Ingredients in Italian Style Beef Chili

The ingredients list might seem a little lengthy, but all the components are crucial the developing the full flavor of the chili. Here is what you will need:

• Vegetables: Olive Oil, Red Onion, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Jalapeno
• Fresh Herbs: Oregano, Parsley, Basil
• Seasonings and Spices: Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika
• Cheese: Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese
• Ground Beef: we use 85/15
• Beef Broth: low sodium
• Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• Marinara Sauce: Rao’s is our favorite brand
• Pinto Beans

This is just an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Chili

One of my favorite things about making chili is developing all the layers of flavor that make it so rich and delicious. It takes time but it is really easy. Here are the basic steps:

1. Sauté the vegetables and herbs.
2. Brown the beef and drain the grease.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) and let it simmer for at least a half hour up to all day for maximum flavor.
4. Just before serving, top each bowl of soup with mozzarella and melt in the broiler. Make sure the bowl is oven safe!

The recipe card at the end of the post contains all the instructions in full detail. You can also print or save the recipe there.

What Toppings Go On Chili?

Everyone in my family likes to top their chili with different things so I like to put all sorts of options out and let everyone do their own thing. Some of our favorite toppings are sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), diced onions, green onions, tortilla chips or corn chips, and more cheese or more fresh herbs.

What Goes Well with Italian Chili?

This chili recipe is hearty enough to stand on it’s own as a meal, but it is my personal opinion that chili should always be eaten with a side of bread for dipping! Here are a few ideas:

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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m looking out the window at a beautiful sunrise today and feeling so grateful for this beautiful place where we live. Have I mentioned lately just how much I love Ohio?

After a couple of weeks of fighting colds, all three of my boys are out of the house today, so Sean and I are on our own. I’m thinking that a walk and maybe a burger or wood-fired pizza for lunch sound great. Bring on all the sunshine today.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Cottage cheese eggs are a simple dish that’s so packed with good-for-you ingredients and protein that it’ll keep you going well into the lunch hour. They’re truly a powerhouse breakfast and easy way to energize your morning!

These air fryer stuffed peppers give you all the savory, substantial goodness of traditional stuffed peppers in a fraction of the time; no need to wait an hour for them to bake!

Savory mushroom rice pilaf is a dish calculated to win over all the mushroom lovers in your life. From steaks to chicken to pork to fish, this versatile side dish goes with just about anything.

Just three simple ingredients combine to create a rich and creamy homemade hot cocoa that tastes better than any packaged mix at the store. Milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and sugar are all you need to make the ultimate comforting cup of rich cocoa.

White chocolate peppermint popcorn is super easy to make and everyone will be wanting more! Surprise your neighbors with this eminently snackable treat. Pair it with a cup of cocoa for a treat everyone will be smiling over.

You don’t have to wait until summer to have peach crisp! This peach crisp with canned peaches is a comforting, old-fashioned recipe for the whole year ’round.

If you love apple cider, you’ll likely fall completely in love with apple cider ice cream. Rich and creamy, fragrant with apples and real apple cider flavor, this ice cream is heavenly when scooped over an apple crisp or served with a slice of pie.

What I’m CRAVING: This Brooklyn Blackout Cake has my mouth watering this morning. Sue has outdone herself with this particular recipe!

My FAVORITE THING this week is Read more

Easy Irish Ground Beef and Cabbage [+Video]

This hearty and flavorful Irish-inspired dish combines ground beef, cabbage, tomatoes, and seasonings to create a simple and delicious meal. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any night of the week!

Our Easy Korean Ground Beef is quickly becoming one of our absolute most popular recipes on our site. I love that everyone loves it, but I couldn’t stop thinking that if anyone else is like me, they’d probably appreciate a few different versions and with St. Patrick’s Day coming up, I wanted to start there.

It’s really hard at our house to think up a few fun dishes for the kids, though our corned beef and cabbage recipe, St. Patty’s Day snack mix and Irish soda bread are all winners. So here’s to a random, quick and easy ground beef dinner recipe and all the joys of less dishes!

Ingredients for Ground Beef and Cabbage

This ground beef recipe uses simple, inexpensive ingredients making it both budget-friendly and perfect for a busy family. Here is everything you need:

• Ground Beef:
• Yellow Onion:
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Salt: adds flavor
• Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: adds a little heat
• Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base: adds bold beefy flavor to the sauce.
• Tomato Paste: This is an optional ingredient but makes the sauce more thick and creamy.
• Cumin: adds flavor
• Smoked Paprika:
• Green Cabbage: See section below for how to chop cabbage.
  • NOTE: Use the other half of the cabbage another day for chopped Chinese chicken salad!

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Ground Beef and Cabbage

This entire recipe from start to finish is made in one pan! It doesn’t get much better or easier than that! Dinner will be on the table in 30 minutes…

1. Cook the Meat: Place the ground beef in a large skillet (or shallow dutch oven) over medium heat and cook the meat until browned. Push the beef to one side and drain any grease or liquid.
2. Sauté: Add a little oil to the pan and sauté the onions and garlic with a little salt until tender and fragrant.
3. Stir: Add in the undrained tomatoes and stir to combine. Then add the bouillon, tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to the beef mixture and mix everything together.
4. Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and li

Healthy Wild Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes [+Video]

Sometimes you just need a big pile of fluffy pancakes and these healthy wild blueberry cottage cheese pancakes will fill your belly but not your waistline.

Growing up I was pretty die hard french toast. My Uncle Richard taught me to do maple syrup, homemade of course, and then a dusting of powdered sugar which is probably why I ended up with a few cavities but I forgive him. 😉 Once Cade and I got married we started experimenting with breakfast recipes and ended up with our Saturday morning hot breakfast tradition.

Most often it’s crepes, Cade’s nutella crepes to be exact but we also love our melt in your mouth buttermilk pancakes recipe that you’ll see by the comments, it’s the best in the entire world. Seriously.

The problem is, I don’t want to always be packing in the calories with heavier breakfasts so with all of this cottage cheese pancake craze I set out to make a healthier pancake. I can’t even describe sinking your teeth into these pancakes and finding little pockets of fresh blueberries. It’s a taste that can’t be beat!

Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I know when you hear the word “pancakes” you don’t think healthy breakfast, but these pancakes use a couple of different ingredients to make them a healthier choice that traditional pancakes. One pancake is only 16 carbohydrates and 3g of fat with 7g of protein (see the recipe card for the complete nutrition facts). Here is what you will need:

• Old Fashioned Oats: We will blend this up to make oat flour which is higher in fiber, vitamins and mineral than all purpose flour.
• Cottage Cheese: We chose to use the low fat cottage cheese and don’t notice any difference in flavor at all. It’s got great protein!
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Sugar: adds some sweetness
• Eggs : gives the pancakes structure and rise and using more egg whites keeps the protein high while calories are lower
• Baking Powder: gives the pancakes their fluffiness
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Wild Blueberries: Depending on the season, you can use fresh or frozen blueberries. Obviously fresh is preferred but sometimes it’s just not feasible. Wild berries take it from delicious to farm-to-table fresh deliciousness!

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes

This pancake recipe is easy and we make most of the recipe in a blender. Here are steps:

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Men’s Valentines Day Gift Guide 2025

Struggling to find the perfect gift for the man in your life? This Valentine’s Day, surprise him with a thoughtful present that’s both personal and practical. Our Men’s Valentines Day Gift Guide for 2025 includes some of Cade’s favorite items that he’s tried and loved!