Becky's Slow-Cooker Chili

As many of you know, I was trained as a chef and owned my own catering company for over 10 years. I still love to cook (even more now that it's not a job) and my wife is often asked how nice it is to be married to a chef (assuming she doesn't have to cook much).

The truth is she does most of our cooking at home if for no other reason than I'm not home to do it most of the time. And another truth is that I didn't marry her for her cooking. But she has learned some basic culinary principles and has improved a lot over the last twenty years. She may not become the next "Iron Chef" but she also won't every appear on a season of "Worst Cooks in America" either.

With that said, one of the best dishes she makes is her chili. Chili is not difficult to make, but it can be difficult to make a really good chili and usually takes a lot of work and a lot of time. This recipe is an exception (although it still takes time). It is a homemade chili in every sense of the word. The easy part of this chili is that if you can chop up a few vegetables, brown off hamburger and open some cans you too can have really good chili.

This is made in a 5 quart or larger slow cooker and must be started hours in advance, but once it is going you can just about walk away and forget it. This is great for a day when you know you will be busy taking kids all over after school or in my wife's case, when you have some energy in the morning but knowing that you won't by afternoon.

Becky's Easy Slow-Cooker Chili

1 lb Ground Beef (can substitute chicken, steak or what ever meat you want)

1 Onion, chopped

1 Medium Green Pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

29 oz Tomato Sauce

3 - 16 oz cans Kidney Beans, drained (feel free to mix up different beans)

14 1/2 oz can crushed or stewed Tomatoes

6 oz can Tomato Paste

4 oz Grated Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream and Green Onion for garnish

1. Brown meat in skillet. Add onion and green pepper halfway through browning process. Drain. Put into Slow Cooker.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese and garnish.

3 Cover. Cook on High 3 hours or Low for 7-8 hours.

4. Serve in bowls topped with cheddar cheese.

Enjoy.

Note: This is wonderful to serve with fresh, homemade cornbread.