hungry poodle

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine, or water
1 T. chili powder
1 t. sugar
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 16-oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used a 27-oz. can Bush’s Kidney beans)
1 14-1/2 oz. can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers

In a large nonstick skillet, brown ground beef. Add onions, bell pepper, red wine, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic to skillet and cook until onion is tender. Place mixture into a slow cooker and stir in beans and tomatoes. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

I altered this recipe and used 1 1/4 lbs. ground beef and a larger 27-oz. can of kidney beans. I also added extra spices (1 1/2 T. chili powder and 1 1/2 t. cumin) and two cans of tomatoes instead of one, to accommodate the larger quantities of beef and beans.

If you use Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers, be sure to  cut up the large tomato chunks with a pair of kitchen scissors when you pour them into the slow cooker. If you like hotter chili, you can use Rotel tomatoes instead.

What I’m getting at here is that you can change the amounts of this chili according to your tastes, either using more or less beef, and more or fewer beans.

Condiments? Shredded cheddar cheese, plain nonfat Greek yogurt, jarred pickled jalapenos (for those who like it spicier) and chopped green onions.

Serves: 6 (each serving is 1 1/4 cups)