Slow Cooker Chili

Winter seems to have finally hit here in the South.  A little snow this morning, not much but it's just a teaser about what's on it's way.  I might be the only one happy about that.

Because of this cold weather, now is an excellent time to post this chili recipe.  I usually just wing my own chili and it always turns out well, so it was unusual for me to follow a recipe.  But it was going into the slow cooker so I thought a recipe might be helpful.  I'm so glad I tried it.  Talk about yummy.
I loved the texture and the fact that it wasn't overly soupy.  I used one regular Rotel can and one mild just in case but it wasn't too spicy at all.

We served ours with some sour cream and some shredded cheese but there are ton's of things that would be delicious on top.  I can tell you that crushed up Dorito's are also really good on top.  Don't ask me how I know that.

If you're looking for a basic chili recipe that will appeal to a large group, this is it!

Slow Cooker Chili

Recipe from CookingClassy

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14.4 ounce) cans diced onion with green chili's
• 3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water or beef broth
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Cooking Directions

1. Add the oil to a large skillet, when hot add the diced onion. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add to a preheated 7 quart slow cooker.
3. Use the same pan to brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain all but 2 Tbsp of fat. Pour into the slow cooker with the onions.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans and stir. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
5. Add the beans and heat through about 10 more minutes. Add 1/2 more beef broth or water if you want it soupier. 
6. Serve with your choice of toppings.  Some recommendations are shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped chives, crackers, cilantro, red pepper flakes, hot sauce.