smoky beef and black bean chili

Hi there!

It’s time again for Tasty Tuesday!

To find out what Tasty Tuesday’s all about, head over to Lena’s to check it out – just click the hyperlink! She started the whole thing and each week, bloggers link up with their best recipes and other posts about food goodies. It’s pretty fabulous and who knows – maybe you’ll find that new favorite recipe you’ve been waiting for! 🙂

This week, I’m bringing you a new crockpot recipe to try – smoky beef and black bean chili!

Chili is such a versatile dish and SO perfect when the weather turns cooler and you want something to warm you up from the inside out.

And, using your crockpot makes the whole process so much easier! Just a little bit of prep work, toss everything in, turn it on, and walk away.

When you come home – from work, from building snowmen, from shoveling, from raking leaves, from the gym, etc! – a healthy and hearty dinner is waiting for you to customize and enjoy.

Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili
serves 4-6
(doubles easily to serve 8-10)

1 tablespoon fat (bacon fat, olive oil, etc)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (remove seeds if you prefer)
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound ground beef or bison
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotles
Salt, as needed
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (substitute beans if desired)
Desired toppings: cheese, avocado, sour cream, green onions, tortilla strips, Fritos®, etc

1. Heat fat in large skillet over medium until shimmering. Add onion and peppers (bell and jalapeno), season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6-8 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; stir to coat and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. And ground beef, season with about 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. When beef is nearly cooked, add the chopped chipotle peppers and the tablespoon adobo sauce and continue to cook.

3. Transfer mixture to a crockpot, add the diced tomatoes and their juices, tomato sauce, and beans, and stir to combine. Cover and cook 8 hours on LOW or 5-6 hours on HIGH.

4. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Spoon out into bowls, top as desired, and enjoy! 🙂

Talk to me: Do you prefer Fritos®, cornbread, or tortilla chips with your chili? What’s your favorite chili topping? Beans or no beans?

– jennifer