Crockpot Chili

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb bacon, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced, optional
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 2 (16-oz) cans chili beans
• 2 (28-oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 1/4 lbs ground beef
• 3/4 lb Italian sausage
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef bouillon cubes

Crisp the Bacon and Sauté the Vegetables

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it is crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.

Add the bell peppers, celery, onion, and optional jalapeño to the skillet and sauté in the bacon fat for 5-8 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

Add the garlic, seasonings, and tomato paste, and cook for another 1-3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.

Brown the Meat and Combine in Slow Cooker

Add the chili beans, diced tomatoes, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and crumbled bouillon cubes to the slow cooker.

In the same skillet, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage over high heat until deeply browned, breaking it up as it cooks.

Drain off any excess fat and add the meat to the slow cooker along with the cooked bacon.

Stir all the ingredients together in the slow cooker.

Slow Cook the Chili

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Before serving, taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.

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Crockpot Chili

This chili gets its deep, smoky flavor from rendering bacon at the start – the leftover fat is then used to cook down the aromatics, building a savory base that infuses the entire chili as it slow cooks.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

• 1/4 lb bacon chopped
• 1 red bell pepper finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1 jalapeño finely diced, optional
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 2 cans chili beans 16-oz
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes 28-oz
• 1 1/4 lbs ground beef
• 3/4 lb Italian sausage
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef bouillon cubes

Method

• Cook bacon until crisp in large skillet. Remove bacon, reserve fat.
• Sauté bell peppers, celery, onion, jalapeño in bacon fat 5-8 minutes until soft.
• Add garlic, seasonings, tomato paste, cook 1-3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to slow cooker.
• Add beans, tomatoes, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cubes to slow cooker.
• Brown ground beef and Italian sausage in same skillet until well-browned. Drain fat.
• Add meats and reserved bacon to slow cooker. Stir to combine.
• Cook on low 6-8 hours.
• Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

Notes

For spicier chili, include optional jalapeño and cayenne pepper.