Cheesy Hash Brown Chili

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

2. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

Comments:
This is very easy to assemble. I didn't have diced tomatoes (and had JUST gone to the store so I couldn't bring myself to go back just for that) so I used crushed instead. It probably made a difference in texture, but it worked. Adam didn't like the chili part, so this will probably be banished to the Land of Unwanted Recipes. Oh well. I thought it was good.