After a particularly warm “June-uary” the temperatures have dropped and we are finally seeing snow in the forecast. The frigid weather ahead has us craving comfort food and I think we can all agree that nothing is more satisfying on a cold day than a hearty bowl of homemade chili. Follow our go-to recipe below for a colorfully-topped, protein-packed, veggie-filled, favorite.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium diced red or yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with juices
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 14.5 oz can black beans
- 1 14.5 oz can kidney beans
- 1 14.5 oz can pinto beans (or 3/4 lb ground meat of choice)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp chili powder
- .5 tbsp paprika
- .5 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- chipotle chili powder (none for mild, 1/2 tbsp for medium heat, 1 tbsp for hot)
- 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice to taste
- Garnishes: chopped cilantro, diced onion, sliced avocado, grated cheese, sour cream
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Prep all of the vegetables by dicing the onions and bell peppers and chopping the carrots.
- Combine the vegetables, beans, meat (if substituting), tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, regular chili powder, paprika, garlic, cumin, salt and sugar in a crock-pot that's 4 quarts or larger in size. Cook on high in the covered crock-pot for 8 hours.
- Thirty minutes before serving, stir in the corn, apple cider vinegar or lime juice.
- Next, decide how much heat you would like your chili to have by adding different amounts of chipotle chili powder; mild = add none, medium = 1/2 tbsp, hot = 1 tbsp. Cook covered for another 30 minutes.
- To serve, top with chopped cilantro, diced onion, sliced avocado, grated cheddar cheese and/or sour cream.