Mmmm chili. Just what the doctor ordered.
A lot of people are complaining about the cooler temperatures and the smell of fall in the air. I guess I’m kinda sad summer has come to an end, but the fall is my favourite season. I love the cooler weather, colour of the trees, Thanksgiving and Halloween. And of course my birthday is at the end of October. Curling up with a great book and a warm bowl of chili is precisely how I want to spend my lazy, cozy fall weekends.
We had another potluck at work and the theme was “dorm food” – a little twist on the “back-to-school” thing. Chili is not necessarily dorm food, but it’s certainly comfort food, so that’s what I made. With sour cream and shredded cheese, obviously.
I’ve made chili a few times before, but never shared the recipes on the blog. What I love the most about chili is how easy it is – dump everything in a slow cooker, stir and leave it for 6-8 hours. Classic football food too, as I’m sure you know.
In this particular chili, I did a few things differently. First of all, I used an orange pepper (not that it makes a difference) and white kidney beans (because I didn’t have any regular ones). I also was careful with the spice level since I was aiming to please the masses at work.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 pepper, chopped (any colour)
- 3 tbsps chili powder
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
- 1 can (29 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 jar (650 ml) pasta sauce|
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- salt & pepper
- water, as needed
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a frying pan with onions and peppers. Transfer to slow cooker. Add all other ingredients and stir. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8. Serve hot with dried chilies sour cream and shredded cheese as garnish.
Notes
This doesn't have to be made in a slow cooker. Simmer on a stove top for 90 minutes and you should get the same results.
October 22, 2013
I’m making this for little ones. I’m wondering if the jalopeno makes in very spicy and if the recipe would be ok with out it?
October 22, 2013
Hi Leah,
It would definitely still be delicious without it! I didn’t find this recipe (with the jalapenos) very spicy at all, though. Let me know how it goes!
Julia
October 23, 2013
Made it with the jalapeño. It was great! My 5 year old gobbled it up and the hubby had three bowls!