Classic Chili

This is one of those stick to your ribs, thick as can be, rich and meaty chilies.  It's mostly meat, kind of a clean-out-your-freezer of beef chili.  It's delicious and not one bit nutritious.  I'd imagine this is what I'd eat watching football on the couch Sunday afternoon, not that I'd have any idea what that would be like; I don't even pretend to understand football.  Thank goodness my husband isn't much of a sports guy, it saves us all a little heart ache.  Instead eat it with a salad and a side of freshly fried corn tortilla chips you'll be in heaven before the evening is out.

This is a crock pot chili, my favourite kind.  Throw it together in the morning and dish it up at least eight hours later.  From this recipe we got 8 servings, so while the initial investment in meat (I hope your buying local-happy meat) might be steep (unless it's odds and ends from the freezer) you'll get good milage out of it.  This recipe is spicy, and I'm a moderate spice eater, I recommend toning down on the jalapeno if you are not interested in a little bit of heat.  Enjoy.

Classic crock pot Chili


1 lb ground beef or sausage (I mixed both)
2 strips of bacon, cut thin
1/2 lb stewing beef
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
5 cloves of garlic
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups mixed peppers diced (I used red and green, but Shane wished I left the green out)
1 jalapeno, diced
22 oz canned, diced tomatoes (or about 10 frozen tomatoes, unfrozen in the microwave)
1 tsp ground oregano
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Fry the ground beef and sausage in a frying pan until cooked through, dump into crock pot.  Fry bacon, place in crock pot.  With a little oil in the pan, brown the stewing beef, add to the crock pot.

Add all other ingredients into the crock pot as they are and turn on low.  Cover and cook for 8-10 hours, until you feel it is done.  Serve with sour cream and grated white cheddar cheese.