Winter makes me want three things: soups, stews, and chili!  Ok, chili is technically a stew, but some would argue that it could stand on its own as a type of culinary perfection.  I love this recipe because you can just put the ingredients in the slow cooker, set it, go to work, and come home to a steaming bowl of chili after coming in from the cold.  Boy is it cold tonight! The current temperature is 50 degrees and its going to drop down to low 30’s! Chilly enough for this chili?  I think so!

A funny thing happened while I was making the chili:  I dropped one of the cubes of meat and had to chase one of our terrier mixes around the house in an attempt to stop her from eating it.  Because of this I ended up over processing the meat, oh well, it didn’t affect the taste.

Ingredients

12 oz lean beef top round, cut into chunks
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell pepper
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 serrano pepper (optional), seeds removed and finely chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 tablespoons chili
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 14 1/2 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 10oz can dived tomatoes
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
1 15oz can black beans, drained

Preparation

1. Pulse beef in food processor until coarsely ground. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat; cook beef, onions and garlic until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
2. Set the oven to broil. Cut peppers in half and remove the seeds. Slash edges so that the peppers will lay flat. Place pepper skin side up on on a baking sheet. Broil The peppers until blackened, about 15 minutes. Seal peppers in a plastic food bag and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Remove peppers and rub the skin from the peppers and chop them.
3. Add peppers and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours on high for 4-5 hours.

Notes:

Leave a couple of serrano seeds when you chop the serrano peppers for added heat.