So it was Fall here, for like a week. Of course, that means it’s time to bust out the slow-cooker and make some awesome soups and chilis. To start, my all-time favorite Slow-Cooker Chili recipe. To be fair I originally found this from Betty Crocker, but I wasn’t satisfied until I made it my own. I think that Chili recipes are like Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, everyone has their own and their favorite. In my case I have more than one, but this one gets made the most in our household.
My favorite way to make it is with steak, but Crys isn’t a fan of steak and prefers it with ground beef (see both recipes below). This started out for me very close to the original recipe, but I had to amp it up. I added more beans, a little more heat via some Jalapenos, and a little more flavor via the seasonings and flavored diced tomatoes and sauce. For the sake of the photos here, we’ll be using the ground beef recipe, but it’s very similar to the steak.
For the steak, you start by layering it on the bottom. Then, or if you’re doing ground beef, add the veggies, beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, then the seasonings. I’m not entirely sure if it matters but I like to hold off on stirring this combination for about an hour. The whole combo cooks for about 6 hours. If you’re going the ground beef route, at about the five-hour mark brown it in a skillet, drain the grease and add it to the chili for the last hour of cooking.
When it’s all done and ready to go you can top it with your favorite Garnishes. Crys likes to add shredded cheddar cheese. The kiddo likes it plain. I like cheese, cilantro, and fresh white onion. We all love to eat it with saltines, using the chili almost like a dip.
Whatever your Garnish choice, I hope you enjoy this. Let us know what you think by tagging us @garnishinglife or using the hashtag #garnishinglife
Slow-Cooker Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Steak or Ground Beef
- 1 Large White Onion chopped
- 4-5 Medium Celery Stalks
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 2 Jalapenos de-seeded and diced
- 28 Oz Diced Tomatoes
- 15 Oz Tomato Sauce
- 1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans
- 1 Can Light Red Kidney Beans
- 4 Tsp Chili Powder
- 3 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Dried Oregano
Instructions
Steak Preparation
- Layer steak in the bottom of your slow-cooker.
- Add Veggies
- Top with beans, diced tomatoes, and sauce.
- Add seasonings.
- Let cook on low for about an hour (not really sure if this matters)
- Stir and allow to cook for 6-8 hours stirring occasionally.
- Enjoy with your choice of Garnish
Ground Beef Preparation
- Layer veggies in the bottom of your slow-cooker
- Top with beans, diced tomatoes, and sauce.
- Add Seasonings.
- Let cook on low for about an hour (still not sure if this matters).
- Stir and allow to cook for about five hours.
- Brown and drain 1lb ground beef, add it to the slow-cooker.
- Allow to cook together for at least one hour.
- Serve and enjoy with your favorite Garnish.
