Based on the fact that
we’ve finally dropped out of the 90′s and into the 60′s,
I’m declaring it chili season.
Chili is one of those
things I just don’t spend the entire year longing for (unlike
pumpkin, which I enjoy all the livelong year but don’t
necessarily shout from the rooftops for fear of ending lifelong
friendships; apparently the rules of when pumpkin can be enjoyed is a
very emotional and monumental issue so I end up eating my
pumpkin
chocolate chip bread on the down low in July,
which totally works for me).
The only exception to
my self-imposed chili standard is this creamy
white version which is acceptable and requested year
round. Our cloudy, slightly blustery weather that hints of
cooler fronts to come has me craving chili big time.
This slow cooker chili
could not be easier. A quick little session in the skillet to cook
the meat and develop awesome flavor and into the slow cooker it goes
while you do heel kicks in anticipation of getting a million things
done while dinner cooks.
There are no secret
ingredients or crazy methods; the warm spices and hearty beef and
beans combine into the most comforting perfect chili ever. You can
step up the spiciness by adding jalapenos (fresh or jarred) or upping
the chili powder. As is, it’s low on start-your-mouth-on-fire
and big on flavor.
Admittedly, chili
doesn’t rank in my kids’ top 10 meals of all time, but
put a big bowl of this in front of them topped with plenty of sour
cream and cheddar cheese while they’re glued to a football game
with their dad and you might pass out when they ask for seconds.
Chili and football are
a pretty winning combination around here — Brian would say it’s
his favorite time of the year and I’m pretty sure if you polled
the four boys, they’d agree. Like father like sons.
Cam and I? We try to
watch a bit of football here and there along with them but usually
lose interest when no one will tell me what offsides means, which I
ask at least 105 times each game, and we end up making
cookies instead. Obviously no one’s complained
about that arrangement yet. You could say it’s mutually
beneficial for all.
Classic Slow Cooker Chili Yield: Serves 6
This chili is also
delicious with beef cubes (I use a chuck or sirloin roast and cut it
into small pieces; you could also use the stew meat that comes
already packaged into bite-size pieces).
If doing so, you don't
need to cook it all the way through in the skillet. Just brown
lightly and it will finish cooking in the slow cooker (the reason I
cook the ground meat all the way through is so I can drain off the
fat after it cooks instead of it accumulating in the slow cooker).
Also, if you want to
increase the heat (as is, the chili isn't overly spicy), consider
adding chopped jalapenos (fresh or from the jar) or additional chili
powder.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey (see note above)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans light or dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
For serving:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Directions
In a large, 12-inch nonstick
skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions, bell
peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes. Add the
chili powder and cumin and stir to combine. Cook for another minute
or so.
Add the ground beef or turkey,
salt and pepper to the skillet and cook, breaking up the meat into
small pieces, until the ground beef or turkey is no longer pink, 5-6
minutes. Drain any excess grease.
Scoop the mixture into a round
5-quart (or similar size) slow cooker. Stir in the brown sugar,
diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans.
Cover and cook 8-9 hours on low or
5-6 hours on high. (The chili will thicken slightly the longer it
stands after cooking.) Add additional salt and pepper to taste if
needed.
Serve with shredded cheddar
cheese, sour cream and any other chili toppings you like.
Recipe Source:
adapted slightly from hereafter Erin G. (a lovely blog reader) forwarded it to me
earlier this year
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.