Rainy Day Crockpot Chili

This is a work-in-progress, one-pot recipe that is perfect for simmering while you do anything else. The result is hearty and warming and can be served as is, heaped in a bowl with some shredded white cheddar on top or not, but definitely with some rustic bread. This is perfect for the day-old leftovers of The No-Touch, Quasi-Sourdough Recipe and a glass of farm-fresh milk.

This recipe is small-batch, written for a 2.5 quart crockpot, but it could easily double.

Ingradients

1 pound lean-ish ground beef (raw, but not frozen)

1-2 jalapeno or chili peppers

Chili powder

Cumin

Red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 onion (or the whole thing, depending on your preference)

1 28 oz can tomatoes, whole or diced

1 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans

Olive oil

Method

Coat the bottom of a 2.5 quart crock pot with olive oil and set on high.

Chop the jalapeno peppers and onion and add to the oil, stirring to coat.

Add cumin and red pepper flakes and stir, then cover and cook for about an hour.

Add the ground beef, using a wooden spoon or the like to break into small chunks.

Stir to mix and cover. Let cook for at least two hours.

Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, and chili powder.

Stir to blend and cover. Let cook for at least two hours. If you need to leave it more than six hours, I'd recommend turning the heat down to low.

Stores well, if there are any leftovers.