Get Hooked Crock Pot Chili

One bowl and you're hooked! I've been known to assemble this dish the night before and stick the crock in the fridge overnight. It is great to pull out the crock before work in the morning and turn on the pot. This is a fabulous Chili! It also happens to be a much healthier option without sacrificing the flavors like some revamped recipes. We especially love the contrasting textures of the ground beef and cubed stew meat.

• Ready In: 7 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 14
• Yields: 14 -1 cup servings

Ingredients

• 4  slices  turkey bacon, finely chopped
• 2 1⁄4 cups onions, finely chopped divided (about 2 medium)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  lb  97% lean ground beef
• 1  lb  lean stew meat, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 12  ounces beer, Budweiser (substitute with fat free beef broth)
• 1 (14 1/2ounce)  Del Monte zesty jalapeno pepper diced tomato, un-drained
• 1 (14 1/2ounce)  Del Monte crushed tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• SPICE MIX 1 (1st DUMP)

• 2  tablespoons Gebhardt® Chili powder
• 1  tablespoon  smoked paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

• SPICE MIX 2 (2nd DUMP)

• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried ancho chile powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  dried chipotle powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1  tablespoon chili powder
• 1  tablespoon  smoked paprika
• 2  tablespoons  dried onion, minced

Directions

1. Assemble both of your spice dumps in two individual bowls, cover the 2nd spice dump with plastic wrap and set aside.
2. Chop bacon, onion and garlic.
3. Cook bacon and onions in a large pot over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned.
4. Uncover and stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute.
5. Increase heat to medium-high; add ground beef and stew meat to the onion mixture.
6. Cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble ground beef.
7. In a crock pot, add beer OR beef broth.
8. Stir in both cans of tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, Worcestershire sauce and Spice Mix Dump 1. Cook on low for 4-8 hours.
9. One hour before you are ready to serve, add in Spice Mix Dump 2. Stir well to combine.
10. Raise crock pot to high and cook for an additional hour with the lid slightly vented to allow some evaporation of the juices.
11. SERVING SUGGESTIONS & LEFTOVERS: Serve with 2% sharp cheddar cheese, fresh diced onion, lite sour cream and crackers, if desired. Leftovers are great for chili pizza topped with 2% cheddar, baked and then topped with fresh scallion and lite sour cream. Also, Chili Joe sandwiches topped with cheddar. And the old standby- Frito's topped with chili, chopped onion, jalapenos, cheddar and sour cream.