In a very large skillet, place the ground beef, sprinkle the minced onions [to taste], and liberally sprinkle the seasonings, as much as you want. Brown slightly, then  flip the ground beef over as well as you can. Sprinkle again with more spices, then break the ground beef into large chunks with a spatula. While the ground beef is cooking, cut the Vlasic peppers. Cut off the stems, then cut in half. You can then cut them into 4ths, but you probably don't want to make them smaller than that. Some people don't like a lot of peppers, so having the larger pieces makes it easier for them to pick them out as they eat, but the flavor will still cook into the ground beef. Put these into the skillet with the ground beef, and cook till the ground beef has browned. After all of the ground beef has browned, you can break up the large chunks into smaller chunks if that's how you like your chili. Pour the canned ingredients over it, mix completely, then let cook till the liquid is reduced to where you like it. Some people like real soupy chili. If so, then only cook long enough to heat everything completely. If you like a thicker chili, like we do, then let it cook for another 15 minutes, making sure you scrape the bottom of the skillet occasionally to keep the liquid from burning. When the chili is to the state you like it, reduce the heat to simmer, and dinner is ready. I serve it in large, heavy bowls, perfect for this type of chili.

To make the chili go farther, you can double it, or even triple it. When I make larger batches, I add in one or two cans of tomato soup, but I add in one extra can of the Kuner's tomatoes for each batch. This also adds a lot of liquid, so if you want, drain the cans before pouring into the skillet. I also put in more of the Vlasic peppers for larger batches. I put in 10 for a triple batch, and my husband said it was a bit much. I loved it. As always, add or subtract the extra ingredients to your taste.

Another way to make the chili go farther, is to make some pasta. I use either spaghetti or rotini. The chili has a great flavor over the pasta, and helps the chili go farther if you are feeding a large group of people. Another way to make it go farther is to make some of those refrigerated bread sticks while the chili is cooking. This is a nice addition to your meal.

The chili freezes well. How I do it: take a quart size freezer bag, put your fist into it, and using your little finger and thumb, 'pinch' the corners of the bag bottom and bring together to the center. Put your bag covered fist into a large mug, and release the bag. When you pull your hand out, you just fold the tops of the bag over the edges of the mug to hold the bag open. Using a soup ladle, put 2 full ladle full helpings into the bag. That will be enough for one bowl of chili. Take the bag out of the mug, flatten, and seal the bag. Place in the freezer flat, so that when you take it out of the freezer, it will heat up faster in the microwave. My husband loves this chili so much, he's freezing a lot of to eat during the week. I'm making triple batches of chili every other week lately, just so he can have his chili fix during the winter. :-)

Update: 30 April 2004  We are still getting snow and cold temps here [today's high will be 38, and we have 2" of snow on the ground that appears to be
melting]. I made another large batch of chili for lunch. I changed a few things, and in my opinion, the chili turned out a lot better. First thing I did was use a strainer to drain all the liquid out of the South Western Chili tomatoes, shaking it every few minutes to help get the liquid out. I cooked the ground beef during this time, and drained the ground beef of all liquid before adding the tomatoes. After the ground beef was cooked completely, I added the drained tomatoes. I then added 2 cans of tomato soup [I made a triple batch of chili] and let it simmer for a short time to help reduce the liquid. While it was simmering, my husband sprinkled a small amount of Lawry's Seasoned Salt [no msg] over the chili, then I sprinkled some of the chili powder over it. I stirred the chili while it was simmering, then we ate. Hubby always puts a slice or 2 of sliced swiss cheese on his chili, so I decided to try half a slice. It's great. It adds just a little bit of sweetness to the chili. This is the best chili I've made since I started making this, and it has my husband doing happy dances around the house [not a pretty sight. ;-p]. lol!
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Frozen potatoes of your choice [I use Onion Tater Tots] - 12 per person, or as many as you want.
Eggs - I used 3-6 large eggs.
Real butter - I used one tablespoon.
Shredded cheese of your choice [I use Kraft Mexican Style Cheddar Jack with Jalapeno Peppers]
Slasa if desired [I use New Mexico 505 Medium salsa]
Optional: diced onions, diced peppers, mushrooms, diced precooked ham or chicken
Skillet.
Pizza pan or cookie sheet and foil, for the frozen potatoes. Cooking spray if desired, or use the new non-stick foil.

Which ever type of frozen potato you choose, try to find something that doesn't take long to bake. If it takes longer than 15 minutes, choose something else that will be done closer to 10 minutes. Bake according to directions on package.
While potatoes are baking, heat the skillet. Put one tablespoon of butter in the center of the pan, then break the eggs all around it. Cook as desired. If it takes longer for the eggs to cook than it does for the potatoes to bake, then you will have to adjust your times. When the potatoes are done, sprinkle cheese on the eggs while they are still in the skillet. Put the potatoes on a plate and spoon the eggs on top. Add salsa if desired. This makes a great dinner as well as a great breakfast.

If you want to use any of the diced items, add them to the eggs to cook and warm up fully. Adding the ham or chicken will reduce the number of eggs you'll end up using.

You can spoon the finished egg dish into a burrito shell, then add the cheese and salsa. This will give you a great breakfast burrito.
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