When I think slow cooker, I think chili. This recipe fills the bill with an all-American- tasting chili fashioned after the one served at Wendy’s restaurants. Browning the meat after mixing it with a slice of bread may seem unusual, but it a great way to ensure stovetop quality, color, and texture (a rarity for lean beefy slow cooker chilis). Offer it with all your favorite chili toppers and watch it disappear.
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 piece whole-wheat bread
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 medium red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium stalks celery, diced small
4 to 5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (15 to16 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 to16 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
1. Tear the bread into small pieces in a large bowl. Moisten with 2 tablespoons water and mash with a fork. Add the beef and mix with your hands until blended.
2. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Crumble in the ground beef and cook, stirring often, until the pink color is gone, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, bell peppers, onion, celery, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and pepper, and mix well. Gently stir in the beans. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, stirring once halfway through, if you can. If chili looks a little saucy to your taste, uncover and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Marlene Says: Yes, you need 4 to 5 tablespoons of chili powder. Slow-cooked foods require more spice, as the long cooking process can break down flavors. Four tablespoons gives you a mild chili powder flavor. Five tablespoons is my personal preference.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: ( 1 cup ) Calories 190 | Carbohydrate 25 g (Sugars 4 g) | Total Fat 5 g (Sat Fat 1.5 g) | Protein 16 g | Fiber 7 g | Cholesterol 15 mg | Sodium 440 mg | Food Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable | Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2| Weight Watcher Plus Point Comparison: 5 Smart Point* Comparison: 4
* As per WW guidelines, the nutritional components of the vegetables (35 calories, 4 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein) were subtracted from the total in the SP calculation.
