By The heat is peaking and we stay inside more in the afternoons. This week I tried making gumbo with less expensive ingredients. It still tasted rich. I wrote the budget version in my notebook.
On Monday Mama let me plan the whole week's meals. We stayed under budget and ate well. She said I was becoming her little assistant.
Wednesday Kayla drew a picture of me as a doctor with a big pot of gumbo. I laughed and taped it to my notebook.
Saturday at MawMaw Shirley's we just sat and talked while she rested. She told me stories about tough times and how food kept the family going. I listened hard.
At night I wrote: "Food is defiance against hard times." Twelve years old and already understanding that some things — like dreams and roux — need time and love. I'm stirring slow. The color is deepening nicely.
MawMaw Shirley’s words stayed with me all week — the way she said food kept the family going even in the hardest times. That felt like exactly the right spirit for this slow cooker beef chili: humble, hearty ingredients that come together low and slow into something that genuinely feeds people. It reminded me of my budget gumbo experiment, that same lesson that care and patience matter more than expensive shortcuts. Here’s how I made it.
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 7 hours | Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced green onions
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking it apart with a spoon, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off excess fat and transfer the beef to your slow cooker.
- Add the aromatics. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic directly to the slow cooker with the beef. No need to pre-cook them — they’ll soften beautifully during the long simmer.
- Layer in the remaining ingredients. Pour in the kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Cook low and slow. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, or on HIGH for 3–4 hours. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor gets — much like a good roux, patience is the secret ingredient.
- Taste and adjust. About 15 minutes before serving, taste the chili and adjust salt, pepper, or chili powder as needed. If it’s thicker than you like, stir in a splash more broth.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, or sliced green onions. Serve with cornbread or over rice to stretch it further across the week.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 318 | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 610mg