Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/galant/">thebittenword.com</a> on Flickr
If there’s one classic recipe everybody needs to have ready at hand, it’s chili. A slow-cooker or crockpot will make this already simplified dish even easier, but a nice heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid will do the trick as well. Break this recipe out for your next tailgate or even dinner date for a hearty, universally pleasing entree (sorry, vegetarians), perfect served over equally easy-to-make rice.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, juice reserved
- 2 14-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
- When no more pink remains, drain off excess fat, leaving one tablespoon in the pan. Transfer cooked beef to a large bowl and set aside. Return pan to stove.
- Saute onions, bell pepper, jalapeño and cumin until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer meat, onions, bell pepper, jalapeño, tomatoes with juices reserved, beans, salt, chili powder and cayenne to the slow-cooker, crockpot or heavy bottomed pot on the stove.
- Cover, set to low heat and cook for 4-6 hours.
- Serve over rice or with cornbread with the toppings of your choice.
