Slow-Cooker Bean and Beef Chili Recipe

September 28, 2017 1 Comment A Well Crafted Pantry

I will make no claims to having the best chili recipe. As a matter of fact, some wouldn’t even consider this recipe a chili recipe because it contains beans (GASP!) but, whether or not it is a chili or a goulash, it is a DARN tasty recipe. When making chili I tend to make it pretty mild so that my family will eat it. I tend to bring a lot of the spice in my personal bowl of chili as I’m adding toppings. If you prefer a spicier chili from the get-go then I’d recommend doubling or tripling the amount of jalapeno in the recipe or adding in some of your favorite spicy peppers.

One of the things I love about chili recipes is that they are SO simple to create in a slow-cooker and to make in bulk to freeze some for later or easily serve a crowd. The recipe below can absolutely be made without the slow cooker, but I love the way the flavors come together while cooked low and slow.

Slow-Cooker Bean and Beef Chili:

(Mild to Medium spice level)

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef chuck processed in a food processor (or sub ground beef)
1 red bell pepper- diced
1 green bell pepper- diced
1 yellow bell pepper- diced
1 medium sized yellow onion – diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers- seeded and diced (1 for mild, 2 for medium)
4 cloves of garlic diced
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of red kidney beans (drained)
1 15 oz can of pinto beans (drained)
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
2 TBSP of cocoa powder
3 TBSP Chili powder
2 TBSP Sugar
2 TSP Cumin Powder
2 TSP Smoked Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:

Mix the chili powder, cumin, and paprika in with the ground beef and brown in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Strain the browned meat and put the meat into a slow-cooker along with tomato paste, sugar, cocoa, beef broth, kidney beans, and pinto beans.
In a saute pan heat 1 TBSP of olive oil on med-high heat and the saute the bell peppers, onions, garlic, and jalapenos until slightly soft. Add vegetables to the crockpot.
Mix ingredients. Cook on low in the slow-cooker for 6 hours.

Note: The meat has been cooked already so the chili can be eaten as soon as it has heated through. However, the flavors blend better over the course of the slow cook. Serve with you favorite chili toppings. Personally, I like a dollop of whipped cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and chives.

Think this looks good? You have to try my slow-cooker chicken chili as well!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili

September 28, 2017 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

I’m a big fan of chili during the fall months. A big, hearty batch of chili can be made for a crowd of hungry friends and family. Or chili can be made for a weeknight dinner and the leftovers frozen for future meals. More traditional chilis have a tomato base to them, however, every now and again I like to switch it up and try something new. This chicken chili was born from the desire to try something that wasn’t tomato based, but still gave the feel of a hearty chili.

The best part of this recipe is that it can be put together in minutes in the morning and cook throughout the day for a hearty evening meal with no fuss. Serve this alongside cheese quesadillas or cornbread. Toppings for this chicken chili can be anything that you traditionally enjoy on your chili or you can go with the toppings I chose to use: cilantro, pepper jack cheese, monterey jack cheese, and pickled jalapeños. You could even add a wedge of lime for a bit of brightness to this hearty dish.

This recipe is fairly mild. For more of a kick double or triple the amount of jalapeños or add in your favorite hot peppers.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili

(This recipe fits in a 7-Quart Slow Cooker and makes about 10-12 hearty servings)

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (thawed and whole)
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (thawed and whole)
1 28 oz can of Green Chili Enchiladas Sauce
2 4 oz cans of Green Chilis Diced
1/2 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper diced
1 jalapeno seeded and diced (want more spice? Add more!)
2 15 oz cans of white beans (drained)
2 15 oz cans of sweet white corn (drained)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Saute the diced onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeno in a saute pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until just soft. Put in slow-cooker.
Add the chicken, green chili enchiladas sauce, diced green chili, garlic powder, and onion powder to the slow-cooker.
Cook on low for 7 hours.
Shred chicken with a fork and then add the corn and beans. Cook on low for 1 more hour or until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Due to being cooked in a slow-cooker there tends to be quite a bit of liquid to this and it may resemble a bit more of a soup than a chili at first. You can thicken it with a flour or cornstarch slurry. However, I prefer not to thicken it. When I serve I pull up the beans and chicken from the bottom of the slow-cooker and leave the remaining liquid in the batch. The starchiness from the beans will help thicken it a bit once it cools and the second day batch will be even better!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Portobello Caprese Burgers + Free Printables

July 3, 2017 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

I’m a meat eater. I love, love, love me a good beef burger. However, for a variety of reasons, my family and I do try our best to NOT eat meat one day a week at least. As much as we enjoy meat, we enjoy vegetables just as much. I really thrive on creating meatless menu options for our weekly dinners. This Portobello Caprese Burger is a great substitute if you’re wanting to cut back on the meat a bit but still want something hearty and flavorful. It is also a fantastic for a vegetarian burger option at your next cookout! (Just remember to cook BEFORE cooking your meat on the grill so that you’re not giving your vegetarian friend meat drippings on their vegetarian burger!)

Portobello Caprese Burgers

Portobello mushrooms are rich and earthy. They are also fairly affordable. I substitute portobello mushrooms for beef often because it creates that bold flavor and bit of chew that beef typically gives a dish. We chose to serve the burgers with a side of grilled zucchini spears. This made for a really tasty and fairly healthy meal!

Serves 6

Ingredients for Balsamic Marinade:

Olive Oil (approximately 3 tablespoons)
Balsamic Vinegar (approximately 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Ingredients for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Hamburger Buns
6 Portobello Mushroom Caps whole with stem removed
6 slices of mozzarella cheese
6-12 slices of tomato (I did roma tomatoes so the burgers had two slices each, but if you use a bigger tomato then 1 slice would work.)
Fresh Basil leaves (you’ll want enough to top each burger)
Balsamic Marinade

For Grilled Zucchini Side:

5 medium sized zucchini cut into spears
Balsamic Marinade

How to Make Portobello Caprese Burgers with Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Directions for Balsamic Marinade:

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl

Directions for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Brush the Balsamic Marinade onto each side of the clean, de-stemmed portobello mushrooms
Put on a grill, smooth side down over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender
While the portobello mushrooms are cooking add mozzarella to your top bun and place your buns on a toasting tray on your grill or above a cooler side of the grill to toast the buns and melt the cheese. Be careful to not burn the buns.
OPTIONAL: I chose not to use any condiments on my burger because the mushroom with the balsamic marinade was plenty moist and flavorful and I’m currently watching extra calories. However, if you’d like I’d suggest using a nice garlic aioli or a really good quality mayo on the bottom bun. Topping the burger with a balsamic glaze would also be delish!
Top your bottom bun with a few basil leaves, the portobello mushroom, slices of tomato, and a few more basil leaves. Top with the mozzarella covered bun. ENJOY!

Directions for Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Toss your raw zucchini spears in the leftover balsamic marinade. If you use all of your marinade up brushing them on the mushrooms then go ahead and make some more marinade. Also, you’re going to have some seriously tasty mushrooms! 😉
Put in a grilling basket or on top of a foil lined grill. Grill until tender, approximately 6-8 minutes. (We grilled our mushrooms and zucchini at the same time and everything was ready to go around the same time.)
Serve alongside the burger. Add an optional dipping sauce of garlic aioli for a nice flavor punch.

We served these tasty little burgers with some of the Julian Hard Cider that I shared yesterday. The portobello was especially nice with the Cherry Bomb cider!

4th of July Free Printable Food Tray

I of course had to serve up my Portobello Caprese Burgers in something fun for the holiday. I created these fun stars and striped food trays to make serving these burgers a little more festive.

Directions for Use:

Click on file and save to computer
Print on white cardstock in full color
Cut around the outside of the food tray and on the dotted lines
Fold where there are white solid lines.
Glue the tabs into the panel directly to the right of the tab you are gluing.
Once complete, line your food tray with wax paper and top with food. The heavier the weight of your card stock the more sturdy these food trays will be.

Download your Free Printable 4th of July Food Tray

Have a fantastic 4th of July holiday tomorrow! Stay safe and have fun.

Dinner

Slow-Cooker Bean and Beef Chili:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

Directions:

Portobello Caprese Burgers

Ingredients for Balsamic Marinade:

Ingredients for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

For Grilled Zucchini Side:

How to Make Portobello Caprese Burgers with Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Directions for Balsamic Marinade:

Directions for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Directions for Grilled Zucchini Spears:

4th of July Free Printable Food Tray

Directions for Use:

Download your Free Printable 4th of July Food Tray