Sunday, September 6, 2009

Are Crushed Tomatoes and Diced Tomatoes The Same Thing?


So maybe this isn’t a question of great importance, but it is one that I got in a phone call from my daughter. She was standing in a grocery store, 1000 miles away from me, and wanting to make chili. I admit, I laughed at her. Of course I didn’t laugh quite as hard as the time she called and asked me what do you put in hamburgers? Uh, hamburger?

Anyway, back to the original question…no, they are not the same thing. You can sometimes exchange one for the other in a recipe, but they are a completely different texture. Crushed tomatoes are most often used for sauces and soups as they are almost the texture of thick ketchup. Diced tomatoes can be used to replace fresh tomatoes for taco dishes, salads and can also be used in soups or sauces.


Now that we have that straightened out, I had to make something with the two cans of tomato products that I opened to write this post. With a hint of fall in the air, a pot of chili sounded good.



Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground chuck, browned and drained. (I often use ground turkey)
1 standard sized can of diced tomatoes
1 cup crushed tomatoes (I put the rest in a Ziploc bag and in the freezer for later use)
1 pkg. dry chili seasoning
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
2 cups water
Salt to taste

Brown the ground chuck and drain. Add the seasoning mix, tomatoes, beans and water to the pan and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour (or longer). Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve topped with shredded cheese, or sour cream and avocado slices.


14 comments:

Sonia said...

It will be chili weather here soon also...believe it or not. I make something similar but called Indian Corn Casserole which has been a favorite with my kids since their scout days cooking in an open campfire...

Kelsey said...

That looks sooo good! I want chili!!

Sue said...

Sonia-it wasn't quite cool enough here yet, but it tasted really good anyway! Thanks for stopping.

Sue said...

Kels-want me to bring you some?

Miss Red said...

yum! this looks delicious! and thank you for the kind words on my blog =) i'll be updating soon about the surprise present i have planned for my parents before i leave - i'm so excited!

Sue said...

Miss Red-I can't wait to hear all about it! Thanks for visiting.

Unknown said...

Yum! Chili!

Sue said...

Hi Shan! I pushed the season a little bit with this one, but it still tasted good! Thanks for stopping.

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Got a huge pot of chili on the stove and lots of men to eat it(big football game)I don;t like it myself,I call it"everything I hate in a bowl" only thing i like are the DICED TOM.s...have a great day,Chrissy

Sue said...

Chrissy, thanks for stopping. I like it once in a while, and I actually prefer it with turkey, but my husband loved having it made with beef again. When it is just the 2 of us, I generally leave out the beans...but, many people wouldn't eat it that way.

Lexie said...

this is quite helpful for someone who is still in the beginning stages of cooking for herself! :) thank you!

Sue said...

Lexie-thanks for visiting! That is my hope for this blog. My daughter actually learned to cook with me at an early age, but once she was out of the house...she had (has) lots of questions. We decided that if she had questions, and her friends had questions...maybe this blog could be helpful.

JUST ME said...

I always get those 2 kinds of tomatoes mixed up. My Italian relatives are disgusted by me.

Sue said...

Oh well, upsetting them about tomatoes seems like a small deal. Just tell them you like to experiment with different types of tomatoes.