Recipe 9: Cha Cha Chili

I swear I'm not a slacker. Between travel and a kitchen painting project I haven't done too much cooking lately. However, during our recent snow day I decided some delicious crock pot goodness was necessary. This recipe is based on the 1-2-3 -4 Chili with Beef and Beans from the Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Materials:

~1 1/3 lb ground round

~1 large yellow onion, chopped

~4 cloves garlic, minced

~2- 15 oz cans pinto bans, rinsed and drained

~2- 14.5 oz cans Rotel

~1- 6-oz can tomato paste

~1 Bottle Beer (preferably Mexican)

~1- 6-oz tomato paste can filled with water

~2 tsp chili powder

~1 tsp ground cumin

~1 tsp dried oregano

Methods:

1. Brown ground round and cook onions and garlic until beef is fully cooked and onions and garlic have been softened.

2. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to well to mix ingredients. Cook on high 4-5 hours, stirring towards end of cook time.

3. Serve with your carbohydrate of choice and enjoy! I topped it with some Colby cheese, nonfat yogurt and avocado chunks.

Verdict:

It was good, but had more kick than I planned for. For my Yankee tongue, the yogurt was required to bring the heat down a notch. It definitely hit the spot on a good 'winter' day, however, it isn't the yummiest chili I've ever made. I still look forward to eating the remainder over the rest of this winter's week.