Crockpot Chili Recipe

MAKE GREAT USE OF YOUR SLOW COOKER BECAUSE THIS EASY CROCKPOT CHILI RECIPE PUTS THE “CHILL” IN CHILI

I remember when I was a little girl and my mother would make homemade chili from scratch.  She had an enormous pot that could make gallons of chili. Something I now replicate with my slow cooker.

I remember how wonderful the entire house would smell as the chili simmered away all day. The best part was when we all sat down to eat it.  My mother would serve it steaming hot with cornbread, cheese biscuits, dinner rolls or beer bread on the side.

Glancing around the table you could see everyone trying to exhale and cool off their mouths while simultaneously eating.  We probably looked like we hadn’t eaten in weeks by the way we would go to town on that chili, but it was worth it!  It was that good!

Now, it’s up to me to make that steaming hot chili for my family.

If you’re like me, time is one thing we don’t have a lot of these days. So imagine walking in through your front door and being greeted by the warm, slightly spicy smell of a hearty, homemade chili.

Then imagine simply grabbing a bowl and a spoon and immediately serving a hot, fresh, healthy and homemade meal!

That’s the dream that this recipe delivers.

This easy, low-prep, ready when you get home recipe is going to be a life saver.

CROCKPOT CHILI INGREDIENTS

This easy, homemade recipe calls for all the staples of a typical chili but with a slight twist.

Be sure to check your cupboards before making a shopping list since you will find that a lot of the ingredients already live on your shelves!

You might need to hit up the produce section of the grocery store to get some fresh items such as garlic, onion and a green bell pepper.

The other item that you’ll want to make sure is fresh (or from the freezer) is the ground beef. You can use whatever kind of ground beef or even ground turkey your family likes, but I usually use 80/20 ground beef since it gives the chili a really nice flavor.

Speaking of flavor, there are a few ingredients you’ll need to give this dish a little kick! This recipe calls for a can of chili hot beans, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, brown sugar, garlic powder and salt.

Now, if this sounds like a few too many spices and hot stuff, keep in mind that it makes a rich tomato base with lots of veggies, meat and beans going on.

You’ll also need a can of kidney beans, a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce.

HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT CHILI

This recipe is so simple, it is literally a simple 5 step process:

Chop.

Sauté.

Cook.

Crockpot.

Eat.

It’s that simple! This recipe is pretty straightforward but I’m going to break it down for you all and give you a few pointers that will make this chili to die for!

First, chop your onion, green peppers, and garlic.

Then you’ll want to sauté them in a large pan with some oil.

Next, add the ground beef and cook until it is almost browned, then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chili powder over the ground beef and continue cooking until the meat is done.

Drain the meat to get rid of any excess grease.

Then add the meat and the remaining ingredients to your crockpot and stir to mix everything completely.

Finally, switch it on the “Low” setting and cook for 4 hours.

Now you are free to carry on with your day and don’t need to stress about coming up with an idea for dinner, you won’t even need to heat it up!

HOW TO SERVE THIS CHILI

This recipe is also perfect for families who eat at all different times.  Just leave the chili in the crockpot and people can help themselves when they want or need to eat.

You could also serve it over chili cheese fries or on chili dogs.

I always have shredded cheese on top of my chili.  Lots of people like to serve their chili with cornbread (and who can blame them!) but again, if time is not on your side, another classic side is crackers!

In my house growing up, we would crush them and mix them in our chili.  They can also be used as scoops.  They make a great vessel to deliver chili to your mouth.  Plus, the extra crunch is a bonus!

Give your microwave a rest tonight and break out the slow cooker.

Best of all, this recipe freezes perfectly so you can make a large batch and freeze the leftovers… if there are any that is!

EASY SLOW-COOKER CHILI

MAKE GREAT USE OF YOUR SLOW COOKER BECAUSE THIS EASY CROCKPOT CHILI RECIPE PUTS THE “CHILL” IN CHILI.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil

1 onion

1 green bell pepper

3 cloves of garlic

2 pounds ground beef I use 80/20

1 15.5 oz can of kidney beans

1 15.5 oz can of chili hot beans

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

3 tablespoons chili powder divided

2 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Dice onion, green peppers, and garlic.

Heat oil in a large pan and sauté 2-3 minutes.

Add ground beef and cook until almost browned.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chili powder over ground beef and continue cooking until the meat is done.

Add meat and remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir well to combine.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

Melly Valley