When most people hear the word chili, they think meat, but here is a twist on that. Our chunky garden is full of fresh vegetables. Let the meats, vegetables, and spices simmer in a crock pot for a delicious one pot meal.
Chunky Garden Chili
Equipment
- Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 packet chili or taco seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Place onion, carrots, and celery in bottom of crock pot.
- Place meat over vegetables, break up if desired (but not necessary are this point).
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over meat.
- Pour tomatoes and just over meat and seasoning.
- Set crock pot on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Just before serving, break the meat apart beef and stir.
- Serve hot, with favorite chili toppings
Notes
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Chili is one of those great versatile meals. Basically, it’s just meat and seasoning. Combine, and let the flavors meld together. Add vegetables, beans, or switch up your spices to create new flavors. I probably have a dozen actual chili recipes, but of all the chilis I make, this is by far my husband’s favorite.
Start by chopping your vegetables: Onion, carrots, and celery. I know that most grocery stores have pre-cut vegetables, but I wouldn’t recommend using them in this case. The cut celery and onions found in your produce section tend to be very finely diced and too small for this recipe. You should dice, but roughly, the vegetables. Remember this is a chunky garden chili.
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Still need a little help with chopping? The Hopping Meal Plans Kitchen Store has tools to help. Our vegetable slicing aid holds your vegetables in place to make it easier to cut. If it’s your fingers you are worried about, our finger guard is just what you need. The guard just slides on our hand to make sure you vegetables are the only thing being chopped.
Once the vegetables are chopped, combine them in the bottom of the crock pot. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. I would recommend breaking it up a bit as you add it to the pot rather than just dumping a package of meat on top. It will cook just fine if you place the meat as one piece into the crock pot, but you will need to break it up later on. It’s easier now, plus lets the flavor permeate the meat more.
Once the meat is in, sprinkle your seasoning over the meat. You can use your favorite chili or taco seasoning mix for this. Once the seasoning is in, pour the cans of tomatoes over the seasoning.Set your crock pot on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
Just before serving, stir the chili, and use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks of meat. Top with your favorite chili toppings. With this chili, I like to keep with my garden-fresh theme and top it with some diced avocado. The avocado has a nice cooling effect and a great alternative to sour cream.
Want to make this recipe even easier? It’s freezer friendly! Just double the ingredients. When preparing the meal, place half in the crock pot, and half in a freezer bag. Push the air out of the bag and lay flat in the freezer. Allow the bag to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. Then just place everything in the crock pot, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, and you’re done!
Like chili? We do too! Don’t forget to check out some of our other favorites like Cincinnati Chili or Cheesy White Chicken Chili. Too busy to explore our site? Get meal plans and grocery lists delivered to your inbox each week. Check out our weekly meal plans and subscriptions in our store.
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Such an easy basic chili recipe, great when the craving strikes!
I could eat chili everyday, especially now that the weather has turned cooler. Thanks for recommending those tools to use to help with cutting. I’m going to check them out.
There are so many great flavors in this awesome chilli!
What a terrific recipe, especially for chilly days. Coming home to a nice bowl of chunky chili was perfect after spending most of the day stacking wood.
That is such a great way to make chili. Super simple instructions that anyone can follow with ease!