1 lb. ground beef
2-3 c. various vegetables, chopped fairly uniform I used garlic, onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, mushrooms and potatoes
1/4 c. diced ham
1/4 c. chili powder
1 (15 oz.) can beans
1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes
2 c. water/stock/broth whatever you're trying to use up...well, water....you know.
1/2 lb. ditalini or other small pasta, cooked until al dente (reserve ~1/2-1c. pasta water if possible)
garnish (use up the ends of the bags/containers/leftovers) : shredded/cubed/crumbled cheese sour cream parsley/cilantro/chives
Brown your ground beef. Drain off excess grease if too much, otherwise add the veggies and cook for a couple of minutes, until they begin to soften. Throw in the diced ham and chili powder and cook for a couple more minutes. Add beans and tomatoes with their juices, then the liquid and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or so, until the flavors come together.
Add the cooked pasta and reserved cooking water and return to a boil for another minute or so. Ladle into bowls and garnish as you wish.