02 Dec Slow Cooker (clean out your fridge) Chili

As many of  you know, we have been in the process of moving, moving, moving. In our packing, I discovered cans of kidney beans, black beans and diced tomatoes…an embarrassing amount. It seems I’m still in the mode of feeding hungry athletic young men by the masses! This predicament has made me determined to keep my staples to a minimum – no need to hoard.

During a break between classes, I pulled out my Instant Pot (definitely on my top 4 list of kitchen appliances) and took a look in the fridge. There were some rather defeated looking stalks of celery, a nice fresh pepper and some sorta frozen carrots as they had taken up temporary residence in a cooler outside (long story). As with just about every slow cooker recipe I make, I start with sautéeing onions. Next, I added the sad carrots, celery, pepper and garlic. A generous amount of chili powder, cumin and oregano were thrown in. I tossed in a few generous teaspoons of hot sauce and a bit of salt. Then came the exciting part – I used up a can of kidney beans, black beans and two – not one – cans of diced tomatoes – yay! The pantry is looking less like a cafeteria for the varsity basketball team!

What made this even nicer is that I made it on a day when I teach into the evening. It was so rewarding to know that dinner was ready and waiting for me! This recipe made a pretty big batch – providing us with several meals at a very economical price. The flavours were even better the following day. Oh, and in addition to being economical, this dish is very high in both protein and fibre – yay!

As with many of my posted recipes, I tend to be moderate with seasoning. You can always adjust to suit your taste.

Slow Cooker (clean out your fridge) Chili

1 tablespoon of oil of choice – I used olive oil
1 onion – diced
3 cloves of garlic – finely diced
3 carrots – diced (unpeeled if organic)
3 stalks of celery – diced
1 red peper – diced
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of your favourite hot sauce
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of black beans

Sauté onions in oil in saucepan or instant pot. Once onions have softened, add garlic, carrots and celery. After a few minutes, add pepper and seasonings and mix well. If using Instant Pot, switch to slow cooker mode. If using slow cooker, transfer to cooker and set on low for 6 – 8 hours or high for 3 – 4 hours. Then add tomatoes and beans. Adjust seasonings as needed and enjoy!