Minute Meal: Chili Over Rice

"Minute Meals" is a series of meal ideas I use for those times when we just need food on the table right now. These recipes require minimal prep, come together in minutes, and are family-friendly. I try to keep the staple ingredients for these recipes stocked in my pantry, so I always have a Minute Meal as a backup for when I don't have time to cook, and going out to eat is not an option.

CHILI OVER RICE

Directions:

• Grab a can of chili from the pantry and heat it over the stove (or use leftover Simple Veggie Chili)

• Heat up a packet of frozen or packaged rice (like Uncle Ben's Ready Rice) in the microwave. If you make extra rice during the week, you can always freeze it to have on hand.

• Pour the chili over the rice and use toppings to make the meal exciting: -Hot sauce, pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, jarred salsa, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, vegan cheddar shreds, leftover vegan cheese sauce, diced onion, thawed frozen corn, sliced green onion, chopped tomatoes, vegan sour cream, or a squeeze of lime juice.

• You can even add a side of tortillas for make-your-own chili-rice burritos.

However, this is a Minute Meal, so you don't have to do anything exciting if you don't want to!

Amy's brand makes a great vegan canned chili. However, Nalley brand has a much cheaper, (though not quite as healthy) vegan version. There are other brands of chili labeled as "vegetarian" than are actually vegan as well, just be sure to check the ingredients.

If you don't have any chili on hand, you can always just have rice and beans with toppings and tortillas or tortilla chips.