Slow Cooker Chili
It’s hard to imagine getting through our cold, long winter without a hearty, hot bowl of Chili. It’s a comfort classic on a cold day. There are hundreds of ways you can cook chili, and different regions use different ingredients. This is one of our versions of this dish. You can serve it with steamed rice, or on a slice of sourdough bread, garnish it with sour cream or fresh greens. It’s delicious any way you make it!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of ground organic grass-fed beef
- 2 large diced onions
- 1 stalk of diced celery (optional)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz/796 ml ) can of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups of dried kidney, lima or pinto beans (or substitute with canned beans, two 15 oz cans)
- 1 chili pepper or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 2 teaspoons ghee or lard (for searing beef and onions)
- ½ cup beef broth (may be substituted with chicken broth or ¼ cup water)
Directions
- Sear chopped onions in a skillet over medium heat with ghee, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Add minced garlic at the end.
- Move onion and garlic into a slow cooker
- Place the beef in the skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown
- Move the beef into the slow cooker, and mix in celery, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and beans. Season with chili powder, parsley, salt, basil, and oregano. Add broth.
- Cover, and cook 6 hours on Low or 3 hours on High.
I use the slow cooker to make it simple, but you may cook it covered on a stove top over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, and then uncovered for another 30 minutes.
How to prepare beans
I prefer to cook fresh or dried beans, but you may substitute them with canned beans. Make sure to drain and rinse canned beans thoroughly before cooking.
If you cook with dried beans, soak the beans in filtered water overnight. Change the water once or twice before you go to bed. Rinse and drain before cooking.