Bethie At Home

Fall is upon us. This is my favorite time of year, even though I have never lived where there are an abundance of color changing trees. Just the nippy morning air and the faded sunshine make me feel alive. Another reason I love Fall is because it is chili weather. People traditionally hold chili contests during the cold football season, and this is when I work on perfecting my famous chili!

One of the best things about making chili is slow cooking it all day long. Coming home at the end of a hard day to the wonderful smells of slow cooked chili cannot be beat. My mom bought me a slow cooker as a graduation gift/house warming gift for my first apartment along with a cookbook she put together of all my favorite recipes from growing up (a very treasured item). The Slow Cooker is a 6 quart West Bend. I love this Slow Cooker. If I was forced to move and could only take one kitchen item with me, this would be IT! My older version is not available these days (sadly because one perk of my cooker is that the lid can be used in the oven as a casserole dish!), but the newest models can be found at the West Bend web site. (click to see!)

I wish I could give one of these cookers to each of my readers, but instead I will give you my chili recipe, which might still bring a smile to you and your family. It can be used in any traditional crock pot or slow cooker.

My chili recipe is an adaptation of a recipe found in the owners’ manual from my West Bend Slow Cooker. I have changed and altered this recipe to its current perfection; so although the basic outline is not mine, the unique subtlety of married flavors is mine! I cannot tell you how many long hard days suddenly felt better after coming home to great chili and good friends. I hosted countless chili parties and have entered and placed in many chili contests with my chili. Remembering the fall and winter seasons of my twenties go hand in hand with having chili parties where people would laugh and tell stories. So this is to all of you who have made fall and winter memories warm by sharing a bowl of chili and your friendship.

Beth’s Famous Chili
Serves 8
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Crock Pot Cooking Time: 7-10 hours

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey or ground beef
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely cut
2 cans diced tomatoes (14 ½ oz each), undrained
2 cans black beans (15 oz each), undrained
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin (ground)
(Fresh serano peppers or crushed red pepper to taste—optional)

Directions:
Brown ground meat thoroughly.
Dice onion, green pepper, and garlic cloves.
Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on medium heat for 7-10 hours
Serve with rice or tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.