Well, hello there lovely 86 Carrots readers!  I’m Mia from The Chronicles of Chaos, where I blog about all the crazy ramblings that come to my brain.  I’m so happy to be here today because I have something awesome to share with you!

Now that the weather is quickly turning colder, it’s the perfect time for my favorite Texican Chili crock pot recipe that I adapted from Taste of Home.

Ingredients:

•8 bacon strips, diced [I omit this ingredient]

•2-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

•2 cans (one 28 ounces, one 14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained

•2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce

•1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained [We didn't have any, so I substituted black beans. You can't even tell the difference!]

•2 cups sliced carrots [Optional - I know what you're thinking... this is 86 Carrots blog, Mia, why are there carrots in this recipe?! Well, that's why it's optional. I don't think the chili loses anything if you omit the carrots. So HA! ]

•1 tablespoon chili powder

•1 teaspoon salt, optional

•1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

•1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1) In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp [if you choose to use bacon]. Remove to paper towels to drain. Brown beef in the drippings [or just use a bit of oil, like we do]; drain.

2) Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; add bacon and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Yield: 16-18 servings. [Or, cook it on high for 5 hours, if you're impatient like me and want to EAT! And if you like it a tad bit spicy, add a 1/2 tablespoon of cayenne pepper. Boo-ya!]

Without the beef. I added it last. Cuz I’m a rebel!

BEEF! It’s what’s for dinner.

Easy peezy, right? And it tastes amazing. Throw together some corn bread muffins and you have the perfect cold weather meal! Plus, there will be TONS of leftovers, promise.  And thanks Jennifer for having me today! Hope you guys stop by and say hi sometime, I’d love to hear from you! Enjoy!
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Tagged: beef, carrots, chronicles of chaos, Crockpot, mia, texan chili