This Hearty chili is a classic no-frills recipe that hits the spot on a cold fall or winter evening! See below the recipe for notes and substitutions!
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Hearty homemade chili (stovetop or slow cooker)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (optional) *see note
- 1 1/4 cup whole kernel corn
- 2 15 oz. cans mild chili beans (with sauce)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 1/2 cups tomato juice
- 1 cup marinara or tomato sauce
- 15 oz. stewed tomato chunks, drained *see substitution below
- 2-3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper *see note
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (optional)
- salt to taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker:
- Brown the ground beef along with onions and garlic in several tablespoons of olive oil. Add 3 Tablespoons flour (optional) and stir to combine with the beef mixture.
- Place the beef mixture in a 6-7 quart crockpot, then add corn, beans and tomato chunks, then add broth, juice and seasonings. Stir well to combine, then stir in the marinara or tomato sauce and add salt to taste.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Cool slightly and enjoy!
Stove top:
- In a large stock pot, brown ground beef with onions and garlic, in several tablespoons olive oil. Drain beef if needed, then stir in flour (optional) until well combined.
- Add corn, beans, tomato chunks, beef broth and tomato juice to browned beef. Stir well, then stir in seasonings and salt to taste
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to med-low and stir in tomato sauce/marinara. Stir well and allow to simmer for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool slightly before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Substitution:
For the a fresher option than stewed tomatoes try adding Roasted Tomatoes instead! This is my personal preference and one of the main reasons I keep frozen roasted tomatoes on hand throughout the winter months!
This Chili Pairs very Well with Cornbread or Copycat red lobster biscuits. Add a salad for a well balanced meal!


Step 1 for slow cooker method: Brown beef, onions and garlic and add flour if you prefer a thicker chili.
Note 1* My personal preference is to use frozen sweet corn, but you can also use 15 oz. canned corn kernels, drained.
Note 2* You can substitute chicken broth or 1 cup water and 1 beef bouillon cube for the beef broth.


Step 2: Add beans, corn and stewed or roasted tomatoes to the crockpot.
Note*
This chili has a mild heat with the addition of cayenne pepper. My husband and I love it with a little heat, however it was a little spicy for my toddlers. Feel free to omit the cayenne pepper if you are sensitive to spicy foods!


Step 2 continued: Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine the seasonings. Add salt to


Step 3: Cook the chili low and slow (or on high in a pinch) and Enjoy!


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Sounds delicious, I appreciate your recipes.
Thank you, Enjoy!
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