Crock Pot Chili

To me, chili definitely means fall is here. Nothing is better on a cold day than a hot bowl of chili with some corn bread or crackers. When I was a kid I couldn't wait until my mom made the first pot of chili of the season. It's also one of the first things I learned to cook, too. Up until now, I've never had an actual recipe for chili. I've made it differently probably every time I've made it. Today, however, I made an effort to remember what I was putting in.

Now my husband and I differ on our idea of the perfect chili. I prefer my chili with beans and he prefers no beans. Normally I make it without beans because I'm not the picky one, or if I'm feeling rebellious I'll add beans and he picks them out. But tonight I made 2 pots; one with beans and one without. It turned out so great!












Here's my recipe:


Crock Pot Chili

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can chili beans in mild sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 a large bell pepper finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 a large onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup (maybe a little less) chili powder
1-1 1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by browning the ground beef in a skillet. Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper to the pan as well. Once the ground beef is done, drain the mixture. Add ground beef, peppers, onion, and garlic to the crock pot. Add tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, beans and seasonings. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Adjust seasonings to taste as it cooks.