I actually HATED most chili throughout my childhood, with the exception of the chili-like substance at Wienerschnitzel that came on top of the hot dogs. I adore my mother and she's a fantastic cook, but chili was something she never really managed to master. Like this one, hers was a slow-cooker recipe, but somehow it always came out much more like soup than anything else. When I was older, she started to buy the chili kit in the brown bag (remember those?) and make it when my father would work late. It was less soupy, but somehow not any better. Sorry, Ma...
This is equally fantastic with about a pound and a half of reasonably good steak, about a pound and a half of ground turkey (I haven't been able to buy ground beef since I read Fast Food Nation five or six years ago) or a package of vegetarian "meat" (if you're going to go this route, try Yves Original Ground Round). Top it with shredded cheddar and chopped onions. Or a little sour cream. Or hot sauce. Or all of the above...
Ingredients:
- Meat (see above)
- 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1 large yellow or brown onion, chopped (more for topping)
- 2 cloves of garlic (or more, if you're me), minced or pressed
- 1 large can (28 oz) chopped or diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 small can (8 oz) tomato paste
- 1 can (19 oz or so) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
- About 10 ounces of frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt or garlic salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicier - 1/8 tsp will make it pretty mild)
The great thing about slow cooker recipes is that you can toss everything in in the morning while you're still half awake and then come home to a house that not only smells like dinner, but actually contains dinner. If you have a slow cooker, all you really have to do is throw everything in it (veggies and beans first, then meat, then seasonings) and turn it on low for 8 hours or so. If somebody's home during the day, ask them to mix it a couple of times. If nobody's home, just mix it as soon as you walk in the door, wait 10 minutes, taste it and adjust the seasonings. If you don't have a slow cooker (or if you need it faster) adjust the recipe like this:
- Brown the meat (unless you're using the veggie stuff) in a little oil in a Dutch oven. Or a similarly shaped big pot. Why do they call them Dutch ovens, anyway? After you brown it, take it out and put it on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Add a little more oil to the pot and saute the onion and the peppers, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes more.
- Add the rest of the veggies, the beans, the seasonings, and about 8 ounces of either beef stock or veggie stock (you don't need this in the slow cooker. You can add it if you don't believe me, but you'll end up with chili soup and then you'll wish you'd listened.)
- Put the meat back in (or in the first time, if you're using the veggie meat), cover the pot, and simmer on low for an hour or a bit more. If it's too thick after an hour, you can add a little water.
Regardless of your method, taste it about 15 minutes before you want to serve it and adjust the seasonings. You'll likely want a little more of all of them, but start with what's listed just in case.
Serve with a big green salad and some good French bread. Or cornbread, if you like cornbread. Or on top of corn chips and call it Frito pie. Or in taco shells with sliced avocado on top. Or right out of the slow cooker at the cook-off, if you want a great family story that will eventually lead to the most gorgeous babies on the planet.
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