Some meals are decidedly cool-weather fare, and chili usually falls squarely into that category. But there are so many different ways to serve chili that don’t necessarily evoke autumn campfires, football games and snowshoe hikes.

(Besides, we may be barely a month away from summer, but we’re still seeing some chilly temperatures and plenty of rain here in North Idaho!)

Try it as a taco salad, serving it on romaine lettuce, with corn chips, sour cream, black olives, avocados, tomatoes shredded cheese.

Or, try it as a filling for stuffed peppers – Simply spoon chili into hollowed out sweet peppers, sprinkle a bit of cheese on top, and bake at 350F until melted and bubbly.

We also like to serve chili as a topping on “loaded” potatoes. It turns a side into a filling main dish in a jiffy!

Keep reading to learn how to make a hearty, homemade chili seasoning mix that’s so much tastier (but just as convenient) as store-bought. Make it in advance, and store until you need it. You’ll be glad you did the next time you’re in need of a tried-and-true, crowd-pleasing meal (or maybe just a blue ribbon at your next chili cook off) ???