We’re in the middle of a chilly week here. November and December were so unseasonably mild that I think I may have forgot that winter was really going to come at some point. If this means that we’re going to potentially have a shorter winter, I’m happy to take all the wind, snow and ice right now. Our old apartment was drafty and cold at times, with a treacherous climb up icy stairs, but so far the farmhouse has been treating us well. I’m trying to keep our heating costs low this first winter by bundling up in thick sweaters, wearing my new fuzzy slippers, cuddling with the dogs (such a hard job) and making warm hearty dishes like this Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Chili.
I was able to make this on a weekend, letting it cook and simmer while we worked around the house, and then ending the day with a hot chili dinner and fresh crusty bread. It makes a big pot of chili and fills my 6 quart slow cooker right to the top. I made a batch just before the holidays giving us plenty to eat over a couple of days and lots of extras to freeze into individual portions for Garrett while I was in Florida.
He said that it was really nice to come home from work after thawing a portion in the fridge all day and have a nice hot dinner, especially on those first few cold days we had.
I really loaded it up with veggies – peppers, onion, carrots, mushrooms and some local corn I had the forethought to freeze in August after our corn roast housewarming.
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 (15
ounce ) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed - 1 (15
ounce ) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed - 1 (15
ounce ) can black beans, drained and rinsed - 2 (14 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (4
ounce ) canchopped green chilies - 2 large bell
peppers, diced - 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off excess fat and transfer beef to the slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients, except corn, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. In the last 30 minutes, add in corn. Taste and season as needed. Serve with your favourite toppings - shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh herbs, crushed tortillas chips or homemade biscuits.
- Leftovers are great frozen in plastic freezer bags.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off excess fat and transfer beef to the slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients, except corn, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
In the last 30 minutes, add in corn. Taste and season as needed. Leftovers are great frozen in plastic freezer bags.
Serve with your favourite toppings – shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh herbs, crushed tortillas chips or homemade biscuits.
