The good Reverend inspired me with his efforts to become a decent cook for his two boys. Pop had a lotta hits and misses but he was fearless in his attempts. My brother will tell you his tuna melts on Thomas’ English muffins were legendary on Friday nights at Power St. The broccoli and cheese sauce maybe not so much.
Anyway, when it came to cooking for the fruit of my own loins, I had some knowledge to fall back on as well as the old motto “Hey you don’t like it? Don’t eat.” So here is one of my concoctions that I have tinkered with over the years. Use any meat you like (ground turkey works very well).
Reverend Charlie’s EZ Crock Pot Chili
Ingredients
Meat:
- 2 lbs grocery store meatloaf mix if available. If not available I go with a pound each of 80/20 ground beef and ground pork
- Pepperoni bites- the small round ones
Veggies:
- One bag frozen pepper strips
- 1/2 bag of frozen diced onions
- Feel like chopping up bell peppers and a couple onions? that’s fine. I’ve done it both ways and prefer quick and easy
- 1-8 oz can diced tomatoes w/mild green chilis-drained
- 1-8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/ cup of spaghetti sauce-Hunts marinara works but whatever you like is right.
- 1-8 oz can small red kidney beans-drained
- 1-8 oz can black beans-drained
Spices:
- 1- tbsp chopped garlic
- 1- tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1- tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp paprika
- 4 tsp cumin and 1/2 cup of chili powder.
Instructions
- Brown your meat in a skillet until the pink is gone. Drain and empty into large crock pot.
- Turn crock pot on “HI”
- Add pepper strips and diced onions.
- Add Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce- Mix with meat.
- Add your chopped garlic and dry ingredients and mix.
- Cover pot and cook on hi till it bubbles. Or about 30min.
- Uncover
- add your beans, your pepperoni and your spaghetti sauce.
- Cover bring to a bubble again and reduce heat to medium or low.
- Simmer for 1.5 hours stirring occasionally and tasting. Add more salt if preferred.
Notes
I keep some fresh onion and jack cheese shreds to garnish. A bottle of your favorite hot sauce at the ready for folks looking to turn up the heat.
Goes great with crusty bread, corn bread, tortilla chips and cold beer.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
