Thanks to having today off from work, I had a little extra time to spare in the kitchen. Normally, I spend my extra kitchen time whipping up some sweet treats, but today, I was all about the savory.
AND, I attempted a meal that I’ve never made before! So what was it??
CHILI! :-D
Despite having the extra time off from work today, that still didn’t mean that I felt like standing over a stove all day. So I broke out my trusty slow cooker for this recipe! Prepped & ready to cook away in 20 minutes…fantastic!
I was a little nervous, seeing as though it was my first time attempting chili, and Jay’s dad apparently makes a pretty mean one himself. I knew I had high standards to live up to. :shock:
Since Jay is not a fan of beans, and I really don’t care for kidney beans myself, I nixed them all together (but they could easily be added in). I debated on using ground turkey, but again, hubby can always tell when I sub turkey for beef (grrrr!)…and I didn’t want to hear any complaining! :roll:
The meat source in this batch comes not from ground beef, but actually top round steak. Personally, I think I like it a lot more than ground beef.
So luckily, my combination of recipes I skimmed through early this morning was a winner!
I had hoped to have some time to bake up a loaf of my Hearty Oat Loaf, but unfortunately ran out of time, since we had some more “kitchen errands” to run after hubby got out of work.
Since I couldn’t make my own bread, I really couldn’t think of anything better to pair my chili with than a sourdough bread bowl. Panera Bread was right on our way home, and they have some of the best bread bowls around. I was unsure of whether or not they’d even have any left, considering they run out fairly quickly; but luck was in our favor this evening!
And we are now both pleasantly stuffed.
From someone who can usually take or leave chili, I seriously couldn’t get enough of this stuff. It’s perfect for a crisp, autumn night! So go ahead, whip out that slow cooker and give this recipe a try sometime this week…you won’t regret it.
My only regret? That I didn’t make a double batch. ;)
Scrumptious Slow Cooker Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1 lb. London Broil or top round steak trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2-3 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp all-purpose barbecue spice rub*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 can 14 1/2 oz Zesty Style diced tomatoes (regular would be fine too), with liquid
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 cup light or nonalcoholic beer or water (but what fun is that? hehe)
- *If you don’t have an all-purpose spice rub I’m sure a Montreal Steak seasoning, or something of that nature would work. Or, just nix it all together.
Instructions
- Directions:
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the beef, onion, garlic, and pepper and cook until browned, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes).
- Spoon the beef mixture into the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook, on low, for 8-10 hrs.
- Serve sprinkled with grated cheese and/or sour cream, if desired. Or toss it in a bread bowl if you’re in need of a little carb overload.
- ENJOY! :-P
Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices says
That looks delicious- love that you put them in a bread bowl :D
And, I LOVE all of your pictures on the last post- you looked absolutely stunning!! So glad you had a great weekend & the day off :)
That reminds me- I REALLY need to make that oat loaf again- soooo yummy!
Michelle says
I wish there was a Panera Bread close to where I lived–I miss it! With the cold weather we’ve been having, I’ve been craving and hot oats in the morning and warm soups! I think chili will have to be up next!
Lisa says
I’ve never had any soup in a bread bowl! Looks delish!
justjac says
Mmmm, looks good! Haven’t tired this, but I want to, with the pumpkins– been seeing it all over blog world!
Lauren says
Yum! I love chili! And I love the bread bowl! =)
Hey, an idea for subbing something for ground beef – maybe try something like ground elk or ground buffalo or bison. It’s a little pricier, but leaner than turkey and not super gamey.
leashieloo says
And she put it in a bread bowl, omg that looks super awesome!!!
whitney says
that should be in a magazine
Amy @ Second City Randomness says
Gotta love the crock pot. I still stand by my statement that using one will make or break chili…
Jean@RoastedRootsandPumpkinSpice says
I love that you put it in a bread bowl. Looks delicious!
GG says
Made this for our neighborhood chili party; huge success; no leftovers which was a bummer. Making second batch now. I skipped the corn to keep low carb. (No bread bowl either :()