We are big chili fans once September hits. I’d say something about the weather turning cool but we live in North Carolina where it can easily hit 75 degrees mid-November. So we tend to sweat through our first few meals of comfort food but it is oh-so-worth-it. (A confession: I was NOT a chili fan growing up. I only started eating it the year Doug & I were engaged because I knew how much he loved it. Turns out I had been missing out on the yumminess for 23 years!) I started making The Momma’s chili but since then, we’ve made a bunch of tweaks to it. We’re not fans of stewed tomatoes or dark kidney beans, but we do love black beans & lots of petite tomatoes.
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 1 pack McCormick’s chili powder (pick whether you want mild, regular, or spicy – I like regular)
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can great northern beans
- 1 can light red kidney beans
- 1 can tomato sauce (not paste)
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (you can select whatever “flavor” you want – I like the garlic & olive oil kind. to make it spicy, use Rotel.)
- 1/2 can of water
Brown your meat & drain the fat. Toss it in the crock pot with all the other ingredients & stir it up. Go to work & cook on low for 6-10 hours. Make cornbread. Serve with sour cream, cheese, & cornbread.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
We make a similar recipe and you don’t have to brown the meat before putting it in the crockpot. It can be thrown in raw! Talk about super, super easy
Also, for quick dinners – throw ground beef in a crockpot with some water and your taco seasoning. Come home to finished tacos (once you pull out the veggies & tortillas). Same with spaghetti – all you have to do is boil noodles! So great.
Jessica, do you have to do anything in particular when you put the meat in raw? I would love to do that with my crock pot dishes
Yes! I’d LOVE to be able to do that but Doug is weird about meat.
Like, I could write an entire post about his “meat rules.”
That sounded more disturbing than it really is. But all of you folks who can toss in raw meat, more power to you!
Doug is not alone! I have meat rules!
This sounds delicious. I also make taco soup just like this, instead of chili seasoning, use taco seasoning and a packet of dry ranch dressing mix and add a bit of beef broth to make it more soupy.
You should all try cinnamon rolls with chili. This was a tradition where I grew up in Nebraska. I’ve introduced my husband to it and he is now hooked! Something about the spicy and the sweet – awesome combo!
My chili recipe is super similar- I only use one can of beans, though, and I love dark red kidney beans! I’ve never tried it in the Crock Pot, though, I normally just do it on the Stove. Trevor LOVES to eat his with Fritos on top… try it, it’s so good!
Thank you! I’ve been desperate for a new chili recipe! Can’t wait to try this.
I make almost the same recipe. My guys love it. I too MUST brown my meat first. There is a texture difference if you put it in raw. I know about weird food rules.
I’ve been looking for a new chili recipe because the one I’ve been using just isn’t cutting it. I’ve got this recipe in the Crock Pot right now, and it smells wonderful! I used a can of Rotel tomato sauce, so I hope it’s not too hot for my hubby who hates spicy food!
Am I supposed to drain and rinse the beans first? Thanks.
Yes!