Slow Cooker Weeknight Chilicooks Country Food

WEEKNIGHT SLOW COOKER CHUCK ROAST

Steps:

• Season beef chuck roast with sea salt and black pepper; put into the crock of a slow cooker with onion quarters and garlic cloves. Pour beef broth and vegetable broth over the roast. Lay bay leaves and thyme atop the roast.
• Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours.

SLOW COOKER CHILI

Steps:

• Brown the meat: In a large saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the beef and season with salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the meat browns, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to a large mixing bowl.
• Brown the vegetables: In the same pan, stir in the onions and the remaining oil. Add the garlic, chiles, bell pepper, tomato paste, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Cook the chili: While the vegetables are cooking, to the slow cooker add the tomatoes, chili powder, bay leaf, cumin, allspice, red pepper flakes, and 2 cups of water; stir to combine. Add the vegetables to the bowl of meat and stir to combine, then add to the slow cooker. Stir in the vinegar. Cover and set the cooker to low; cook for about 8 hours. Check after a couple of hours. Stir and taste for seasoning. Thirty minutes or so before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and stir in the black beans and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• Serve: Allow it to "rest" for about 15 minutes before serving. Stir in the scallions. Taste for seasoning. Serve with any or all of the following: cheddar, sour cream, avocado, scallions, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.

SLOW-COOKER WEEKNIGHT CHILI(COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• 1. Toast chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and pepper flakes in large Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer toasted spices to bowl. Add bacon to Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels and pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot. Return pot to medium heat, add onions and bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• 2. Add beef, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, using wooden spoon to break up beef into 1/2-inch pieces, until just slightly pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef and vegetables in colander.
• 3. Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and toasted spices to empty pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Return drained beef and vegetable mixture and bacon to pot, stir to combine, and bring to simmer. Transfer contents to slow-cooker insert.
• 4. Set slow cooker to low, cover, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 hours, stirring in beans during last hour of cooking. (Alternately, cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.) Adjust seasonings and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for several months.).
• Make Ahead: If you'd prefer to just dump the chili ingredients into the slow cooker before running off to work, you can do all the work the night before. Follow the recipe through step 3, but continue to simmer the assembled chili for 10 minutes. Transfer the chili to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, simmer the chili in a Dutch oven for 10 minutes, then transfer it to your slow cooker and proceed with step 4.

SLOW-COOKER BLACK BEAN CHILI(COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• 1. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Cook onions, peppers, and jalapeños in bacon fat until softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer half of sautéed vegetables to medium bowl, wrap with plastic, and reserve in refrigerator. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano to pot with remaining vegetables and cook until deeply fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in water, broth, 2 teaspoons salt, dried beans, ham, and crisp bacon. Bring to boil and let simmer 15 minutes.
• 2. Transfer bean mixture to slow cooker and arrange piece of aluminum foil on surface of liquid. Cover and cook on low until beans are tender, 7 to 9 hours (or cook on high 4 to 6 hours).
• 3. Remove lid, discard foil, and transfer ham to cutting board. Stir tomatoes into slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until tomatoes soften, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, transfer canned beans to bowl and mash with potato masher until rough paste forms. Chop (or shred) ham into bite-sized pieces. Stir mashed beans, ham, lime juice, and refrigerated vegetables into slow cooker. Cook, covered, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Serve.