Don't you just love how making chili in the crock-pot fills the house with those warm flavors of spicy chili richness, besides the fact that the meat is juicy and tender and all the chili flavors meld together perfectly. The addition of cream cheese to the chili is what makes the chili extra rich-tasting. This is a protein-packed, hearty meal that will leave you feeling like you've had an elegant sufficiency after your meal. Did you know that if your body does not get enough protein in any given day, you will be driven to eat more and more until you do?
This makes a lot, so if you like, you can halve the recipe. On the other hand, you can definitely freeze leftovers. You can also serve leftover chili on buttered low-carb toast or low-carb one-minute English muffin for breakfast! Yum!
To change this up you could switch out some of the ground beef for ground sausage. Either way, you are going to love this rich, meaty crock-pot chili. Typically, it is a family-friendly meal and a favorite.
If you are not in a hurry, this chili is even nicer cooked on low. Just make sure to add the beans, if using any, in the last couple of hours, if you don't want them to get too soft.
I didn't add onion to the chili, but you are welcome to do that. You could even add a can of green chilies to this chili, in which case, I would first taste before adding cayenne pepper or red chili flakes. You want some heat but not to the point that your mouth is on fire. At least, for me that is a criteria and if you are trying to keep your chili kid-friendly. If you do decide to use onions, cook them along with the meat while you are browning the ground beef in the frying pan.
My favorite way to serve chili is with sour cream and grated, sharp Cheddar cheese. However, some people like to use cilantro, sliced jalapenos or avocados - of all those I like the latter garnish the most.
One of the best things about using a crock-pot for a chili recipe is that it is easy to make a large chili recipe like this to feed a crowd. Serve in a bowl with sour cream and grated sharp Cheddar cheese and one of the other garnishes suggested in the blurb above.
You can, of course, tweak this recipe to your liking by changing up the spices or the amounts, depending on what you have on hand. That is the great thing about chili. There is no right or wrong way to make it; we can individualize our recipes to suit our tastes or what we have in the pantry and fridge. Often one of the simplest ways to add a "bite" or "zing" to chili or other soups is to simply add more black pepper or if you have one of the spicier spices on hand, you could use that instead. These would even be good served in tortillas. Nowadays low-carb tortillas can be bought in upscale grocery stores in the United States.
I made this recently and since it is just Ian and me eating, I froze some of it, when we got tired of eating it. That is not a problem; it will freeze well. We have several freezers these days; just a nice thing to have when one lives in the boonies. Now we just need solar panels to make us feel more secure. We have them, but haven't installed them yet.
You can use beef broth in this recipe, but I always use my homemade chicken stock, because I almost always have some in the freezer. I will try to remember to add my simple recipe using a rotisserie chicken carcass in the helpful hints. You can always add chopped green bell peppers or a carrot or celery to the meat to hide some more lovely vegetables in an already healthy meal.
Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef, OR 2 lbs ground beef and 1 lb ground sausage (1.4 kg)
2 tsp minced garlic (10 mL)
2 cans diced tomatoes (29 oz; 822 g)
6 oz can tomato paste (180 g)
2 tbsp mild chili powder (30 mL)
2 tsp cumin (10 mL)
2 tsp oregano (10 mL)
2 tsp sweetener, to balance flavors (10 mL)
2 tsp cocoa powder, optional (10 mL)
21/2 tsp salt (12 mL)
1 tsp paprika (5 mL)
1 tsp black pepper (5 mL)
1/4
tsp cayenne pepper, OR double that in red chili flakes (1 mL)
15 oz can black beans, OR soy beans, (425 g)
optional
2 cups chicken stock/broth, OR (500 mL)
beef stock/broth
4 oz cream cheese (125 g)
Instructions:
In large, nonstick frying pan, brown ground beef, OR ground beef and ground sausage. Add garlic and stir
fry 2 minutes. Add to crock-pot. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin oregano,
sweetener, cocoa (if using), salt, paprika, pepper and cayenne pepper or red chili flakes. Add tomatoes,
black beans, OR soy beans (can drain if you like), chicken, OR beef
stock/broth. Set on high for 3
hours or on low for 8 hours. Add cream cheese, broken up and
cook another hour.
Helpful Hint: If you decide to cook this overnight on low,
only add the beans in the last one or two hours, if you decide to use them.
*To make homemade chicken stock, place rotisserie chicken carcass in slow-cooker. Add water to cover. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, 1 tsp parsley (1 mL), 1/2 tsp (2 mL) thyme (optional) and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper. Place slow-cooker on low and cook overnight. Strain and either refrigerate or freeze the chicken stock in an airtight container. This chicken stock makes a wonderful base for soups and gravies.
Yield: 12 servings
1 serving
317.3
calories
24.6
g protein
21.0
g fat
1.6 g fiber
5.9
g net carbs
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