The Best Money-Saving Chili Recipe Using Your Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto or kidney beans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef (at least 80 percent lean
- 2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Choose your favorite toppings: Sour cream guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheddar, pepper jack cheese, corn chips, sliced green onions, shredded lettuce, sliced ripe olives, or diced fresh tomatoes, optional, for garnish.
- Optional: 1 small hot pepper such as jalapeño or serrano, chopped
Method
- Rinse and sort the beans, picking out any malformed beans or small stones.
- Add the beans, cover with water in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until beans are tender.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until wilted. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until no longer pink, turning and stirring frequently.
- Add the canned Rotel tomatoes and chili powder to the beef and beans; stir to blend. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.
- Reduce the slow cooker heat setting to low; cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours longer.
- Top chili servings with your favorite optional garnishes.
Notes
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers for a future meal. Or double the batch and freeze half.
- Use leftover chili in burritos, tacos, or omelets, or use it as a pasta topper. It makes a tasty topping for baked potatoes, or hot dogs too!
- For fast microwave lunches, freeze leftovers in single-serve portions.