Not My Mama’s Crockpot Chili

Ok, first off I need to clarify…I LOVE my mama’s chili. It was the first chili I fell in love with—except for the bell pepper she adds to it (which I have come to accept and enjoy). This just isn’t HER recipe. I actually started with her recipe and made it my own.  I like to make recipes that I can play with and change from time to time. Chili is definitely one of those kind of recipes. My cornbread recipe is one of those too. That’s just the fun part of cooking for me.

So…here’s the recipe:
1 lb. ground beef or whatever ground meat you choose to use
1 med. onion, chopped
1 8oz. can of tomato sauce
2 15 oz. cans pinto beans
1 15 oz. can black beans
2 14.5 or 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes ( I am currently really enjoying fire roasted tomatoes—Muir Glen rocks!)
chili powder
garlic powder (or minced garlic if you are adventurous or living dangerous )
ground cumin
oregano

FIRST, brown the ground beef. When it is fairly close to being done, add the onion and continue cooking until the ground beef is finished browning (the onion will cook in the crockpot). Drain the beef (I always put it in a strainer/ colander over a stainless steel bowl. When the drippings are solidified, I scrape the bowl out and throw the drippings in the trash.)
WHILE the beef is browning, open all the cans of beans and tomato products and add to the crockpot. Mix together. Add the beef and onions when the beef is finished browning.
THEN it is time for the fun part—seasoning. I do not measure these unless I am using someone else’s recipe. I usually sprinkle the chili powder medium thick over the top of the crockpot. I add a little less cumin and then a little less garlic. I add even less oregano. Of course, you can add these to taste. If you want the chili to be hot, add some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper or even diced green chilies.
FINALLY, I usually cook this on low at least 4-6 hours. My crockpot has a ‘keep warm’ feature that I usually turn on when I get home if I like the thickness of the sauce.
I like to serve this with sharp cheddar cheese, a dollop of reduced fat sour cream, unsalted saltine crackers , and/ or cornbread. Yum!!!


NOTES:

• I have high blood pressure and try not to add a lot of salt while cooking. I even try to buy salt free tomatoes and beans to use in this. Feel free to add salt to this recipe if you feel it needs it.
• I bought my crockpot a long time ago and cannot remember what size it is (I believe it is 5 quart). This recipe fills that crockpot around 2/3 full.
• This is a great recipe to put in the crock the night before you need it and stash in the fridge. I rarely have time to put anything in the crockpot in the crazy mornings around my home. I DO have enough time to take the crock from the fridge, put it in the base, plug it in, and turn it to low.

ENJOY AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN!







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