10 Must Have Kitchen Gadgets From Amazon + My Favorite Chili Recipe

Hat on the Map

5 years ago

I love a good kitchen gadget I mean who doesn’t love a tool that can make life a little easier? As I was unpacking my kitchen (we recently moved cross country!) I realized that 90% of my favorite kitchen gadgets I bought on Amazon. Even better, all of my favorite kitchen gadgets from Amazon are under $30. Narrowing this list down to just 10 was tricky, I have so many Amazon kitchen gadgets that I love so much!

Here are my favorite Amazon must-haves in my kitchen! These 10 affordable kitchen gadgets will no doubt become your most-used kitchen items.

Kitchen Gadgets From Amazon

Meat Masher : Life-changing kitchen tool, okay, that might be dramatic but seriously. The absolute best tool for cooking ground meat.
Knife Sharpener : This tool is so little and easy to use and helps maintain your knives for years!
Vegetable Chopper : This little guy cuts meal prep time in half!
Citrus Juicer : Love adding lemon or lime to your drinks but hate dealing with the seeds and how much juice is wasted? This tool is for you. Best citrus juice extraction tool and so easy to use.
Electric Tea Kettle : My affinity for my tea kettle makes me feel so European, but I really really love our tea kettle I mean how else can you get your water to boil that fast!
Wine Opener : I mean an electric wine opener under $20! Need I say more?
Metal Straws : If you are looking for an eco-friendly straw that you actually enjoy using, these are it! This 12 pack of straws has 4000 5 star reviews and is only $8!
Tongs : A must in our kitchen, these make flipping food while cooking so much easier!! and the silicon tips ensure that nothing gets scratched up!
Cast Iron Skillet : We use this skillet for almost everything we cook, I love cooking in a cast iron pan, and this one comes at such a great price point. I especially love to cook steaks in cast iron, yum!
Scraper/Cutter : My husband bought this to help with pizza dough but, since then I have used it for so much more, I especially love to use this when I am chopping salads.

My Favorite Chili

As promised on Instagram stories, below is my favorite chili recipe. It’s so simple, yet hearty and filling. I hope you enjoy! This is a favorite meal at our house and it is also so good over a baked potato!

Ingredients

Red onion (1)
Large green bell pepper (1)
Minced Garlic (3 Cloves)
Jalapenos (I use 4, but you may want to use less dependent on how much spice you enjoy)
Zucchini (1)
1LB ground beef (I use 90/10)
1 small can tomato paste
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis
Small can diced tomatoes
Large can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can chili beans
2 cans kidney beans
season to taste

Directions

In a large stockpot add all of the canned ingredients together (except the tomato paste) and let simmer together, stir well. Do not drain any of the canned items, leave the pot uncovered.
In a separate large frying pan, add the olive oil and place it over medium heat for two minutes. Add the onion, garlic, zucchini, jalapenos, and bell pepper. OPTIONAL: add chopped bacon to this mixture! Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the ground beef to the pan. Break it apart, I like to use a meat masher, it gives it perfect crumbles. Season the meat to taste, I use garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, oregano, and a little onion salt
- Store-bought chili powder can also be used to season the meat, I am not a fan of cumin so I skip out on that.
Cook until the beef is browned, use the meat masher to break up any large pieces. Drain the meat just a little ( I like to leave some fat behind, I think it helps the flavor of the chili).
Add the tomato paste to the meat mixture. Stir until well combined.
Add the meat mixture to the large stockpot
Bring the liquid to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat (low to medium-low) to gently simmer the chili, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat
Top with your favorite chili toppings. I used cheddar cheese, sour cream, and Cholula.
- Other topping ideas: sour cream, onion, cheese, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips
And Enjoy!