Shelly's Recipe

* WEEKNIGHT CHILI * - Crockpot

Category: Chili

1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz bacon, chopped fine
2 onions, chopped medium
1 red bell pepper, chopped medium
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs 85 percent lean ground chuck
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can (28 oz) tomato puree
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (15.5-oz) cans dark red kidney beans , drained and rinsed

Toast chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and pepper flakes in large Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer toasted spices to bowl. Add bacon to Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels and pour off all but 1 tsp fat from pot. Return pot to medium heat, add onions and bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add beef, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, using wooden spoon to break up beef into 1/2-inch pieces, until just slightly pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef and vegetables in colander.

Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and toasted spices to empty pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Return drained beef and vegetable mixture and bacon to pot, stir to combine, and bring to simmer. Transfer contents to slow-cooker insert.

Set crockpot to LOW, cover, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 hours, stirring in beans during last hour of cooking. (Alternately, cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.) Adjust seasonings and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for several months.) Serves 8-10