It is cold outside. Like, sub-zero temperatures. Brrr….brrr….brrr!!! When it is this cold, I like to have some warm-eatin’s, namely chili. Pair it with a great cornbread, and you’ve warmed my heart and belly. {A little known fact about me as well: Ever since I was a child, I have always enjoyed a big, cold glass of milk paired with a hot bowl of chili. Even to this day, something about this combination is spectacular!}

Normally when I make chili {as you will see a bit in today’s post} I don’t always make it in a “traditional” way. I like to add lots of veggies to the mix. Today it happened to be celery, corn and okra {in addition to the normal onion, garlic and peppers}, but I have been known to throw in some carrots and squash as well. Now, I realize that I probably lost a lot of you when I just mentioned the word okra. I understand that this odd little green vegetable can be an acquired taste, and it’s texture can take some getting used to. So, if you happen to have an aversion to it, go ahead and leave it out…I promise you won’t offend me. But, I have to say because it is cooked in a soup, you really don’t notice it’s normally slimy {for lack of a better word} characteristic in the end. And that last descriptor probably pushed those of you with the aversion to it quite over the edge. Apologies. Okay, moving on…

On to the beans. To me, chili really isn’t a chili without the beans. I think it really doesn’t matter what type of beans are added to the mix. Kidney beans and pinto beans are great, but sometimes when the pantry is lacking a supply of these normal-chili-type-beans, you gotta add what you have on hand. Today’s mix of beans ended up being kidney beans, black beans and great northern white beans. It works in the end, trust me.

Chili is such a wonderful food. So versatile and can be personalized with ingredients and spices to fit your individual likes and dislikes. Making it for the first time in a crockpot today was great as well. It was nice to get dinner out of the way mid-morning and not have to think about it again until ladling it in the bowls come supper time. If you enjoy a good chili, take what you’ve read here, try it as-is, or tweak it to make a great crockpot chili for your own family. Stay warm and enjoy! -Shelley.

Crockpot Chili

1 pound hamburger, cooked
2 T taco seasoning mix {equivalent to 1 packet}
1 c onion, chopped or sliced
1 c celery, chopped
1 c chopped peppers {I used roasted pablano peppers and green bell peppers that I had on hand in the freezer}
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c corn
1 1/2 c frozen okra pieces
3 15-ounce cans beans {kidney, pinto, black, great northern, etc.}, rinsed
1 quart {4 cups} tomato juice or V8 juice
3 c salsa
{rotel and crushed tomatoes would work as well, you might just want to season a little more}
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T dried parsley
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c corn flour {I used my WonderMill grain mill to grind popcorn into fresh corn flour}
1/4 c warm water {to mix into the corn flour}

Start by browning the hamburger meat. Add the 2 T of taco seasoning mix and cook another minute or two. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Chop onions, garlic, celery, peppers, cilantro and add to crockpot. Add corn and okra to crockpot as well.

Rinse beans in a strainer. Add beans and cooked meat to pot.

Add tomato juice/V8 and salsa/rotel/crushed tomatoes to crockpot…

Mix 1/4 cup of corn flour and 1/4 cup of warm water together in a small bowl to make a slurry.

Add corn flour slurry and remaining seasonings to crockpot and give a good stir to combine.

Cover with the lid and set crockpot on low setting. Forget about cooking it now and enjoy later!

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