Mmm. I LOVE chili. This is amazing, because as a youngster, the idea of chili really made me turn up my nose. There is something about one-pot suppers from m childhood that I just couldn't fathom. Why did everything have to be mixed together? Tuna casserole, Shepherd's Pie, Lasagna, Stews, Soups, you name it, I didn't like it. Now that I am a stay-at-home chef taking care of 3 little critics and tending to the critics every need, including loads of laundry and following behind tidying, the idea of tidying my own mess in the kitchen is sometimes less than appealing...enter the one pot dish. It's fabulous. Everything working together, cooking deliciously all day, making my house smell like dinner all day, and very minimal dishes...it's just music to my ears, mind, body, soul! Now, whenever I see a cooking show that boasts a one-pot meal, I'm all ears. My mom was a genius! My critics turn up their noses at the idea sometimes too, but there are a few that I can win them over with...and chili is one of them. My oldest critic is a lover of beans, and so chili is very high up on her list of favorites. My chili is a meat and beans with little signs of veggies...in fact, the only veggie is onion and then the tomato sauce it cooks in. It tastes SO delicious and I serve it by itself, or over fries or baked potatoes. mmm-mmm-good. I believe that's someone else's slogan, but I'm going to steal it for this chili. A little cheese on top, a little corn chips and I'm set.
Recipe:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 c. red kidney beans
12 oz tomato sauce
1 cup tomato juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
Brown the beef with the diced onion, throw everything into the slow-cooker and cook on low all day. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, corn chips, or over fries or baked potatoes.
Add Italian sausage if desired to mix it up a bit.
you could add pureed veggies to it too if you wanted to hide extra goodness in away from the critics. A little canned pumpkin, like 1/4 cup or so; steamed mashed cauliflower adds a little thickening, but you can always add more tomato sauce or water; and pureed carrots work good too. I promise, I've tried it, it's still yummy lil' sister :)
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