I love Crock-Pot recipes, especially in fall and winter. Even though it’s still plenty warm in South Carolina right now, we turned the clocks back, the leaves are falling, and I’m planning meals in the Crock-Pot.

Here’s one of my go-to recipes. I developed it over time, combining several recipes I liked, then adding other things I liked and taking away things I didn’t. It’s my trial-and-error chili, but it’s becoming a family favorite. Because I like to hedge my bets, I sneak in super foods where I can. I added turmeric (powerful anti-inflammatory) and cocoa powder (antioxidants and minerals) to this recipe and the combination gives the chili a unique depth of flavor.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

What’s your favorite chili recipe?

Super Chili

*** REVISED October 15, 2017 ***                                            

(This is the version that won the chili cook-off!)

olive oil to cover the bottom of a 6-quart dutch oven (I use cast iron)

2 sweet onions, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

3-4 poblano peppers, diced

1 cup diced carrots

4 tablespoons minced garlic (fresh or refrigerated kind)

2 tablespoons cumin

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup turmeric

1/4 cup cocoa

3 lbs ground sirloin

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes

1 quart unsalted high quality beef stock (I used homemade bone broth for the contest. Instructions below.)

2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained

2 (15.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained

3 ears corn, roasted in oven, then cut from cob

2 tablespoons Worchestersire sauce

1/4 cup agave

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Heat the oil in dutch oven over moderate heat.

Add the onion and cook about five minutes, until it just starts to turn golden in places

Add bell pepper, poblano pepper, garlic, and carrots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef over high heat

Add cumin, chili powder, turmeric, and cocoa to vegetables in dutch oven and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add browned beef to dutch oven

Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, beef stock, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, black beans, kidney beans, corn, Worcestershire sauce, agave, salt, and pepper.

If desired, transfer to Crock-Pot and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Alternately, place dutch oven in oven preheated to 250 degrees. Bake for 6 hours.

Serve topped with shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend and sour cream.

Instructions for Beef Bone Broth

In a cast iron skillet, bake 3 pounds beef bones, with onion, garlic, mushrooms, leeks, carrots, and celery for two hours. Transfer all contents to a stock pot, cover with water, and simmer 24 hours. Remove bones and vegetables and strain stock. (I used a permanent coffee filter.) Refrigerate until needed. I used mine within 24 hours. I have no idea how long this keeps in the refrigerator, but I would use within a day or two.