Crock pot Chili

Tonight I made us homemade chili for dinner and it was so incredibly delicious! I didn't follow a recipe, but it turned out perfectly and Hank and I were in total chili heaven. Unfortunately I was missing a major ingredient for homemade cornbread so we just did salad and chili, but cornbread would have been such a nice touch. Next time!

Here's what you need:

1 bell pepper
1 onion
olive oil
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can corn
1 can tomato paste
2 cans kidney beans
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup water
a liberal amount of your favorite spices- today I used: about 1 tbsp of cumin, 1 tbsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, sea salt/black pepper to taste. Again, these are estimates because I just made it up as I went.

Easiest directions ever:

1) In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add in chopped onions and peppers. Saute.

2) While the onion/pepper mixture is cooking, add everything else into the crock pot.

3) Add in onion/pepper. Stir.


4) Cover and cook in the crock pot on low for about 5-6 hours.

And wa-la! You have a totally healthy, hearty, filling pot of chili that will last for a few days. This chili is high in fiber, protein and good for your vitamins and minerals. Great stuff. And remember, you can omit or add any sort of ingredients you'd like. Some other things that would be super delicious: jalapenos, veggie "meat" crumbles, carrots, etc! So good luck and have fun...and let me know if you try this recipe!