Last week I had no idea what to make for dinner. I pulled out my crockpot and a frozen package of beef stew meat chunks. I starred at both for a few minutes and then it hit me — chili in the crockpot.
I typically make chili with ground beef on the stove. So I was excited to try something new. I threw the beef into the crockpot first and then added several other typical (and not so typical) chili ingredients. The result: one of the best pots of chili I ever made. Hearty, healthy and delicious!
Crockpot Chili Creation
1 lb. package of beef stew chunks
1 can red kidney beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen sweet potato chunks (crazy, I know, I’ll explain)
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Place all of the ingredients into the crockpot and mix. Turn on HIGH and let it simmer all day. I stirred the chili throughout the day to make sure the flavors were melting together.
Let me explain the sweet potatoes: I did not set out to put this vegetable in the chili. I always have frozen sweet potato chunks in my freezer that I buy around the December holidays. While I was gathering the frozen corn for the chili, I found the potatoes and thought, This might give the chili a hearty flavor. Lets try it!
I tasted the chili after the potatoes cooked and realized it needed something to bring out the sweet potato taste. So in went the brown sugar. It was EXACTLY what was needed. I also added a bit more salt at this point.
I liked making chili in the crockpot and the stew meat (as opposed to ground beef) gave it a great taste and texture. The cornbread pictured below is an Our Best Bites recipe. It’s delicious and makes a ton. I made it once and froze it in three servings. That should give you plenty for multiple chili dinners.