Meat Lover's (No Bean) Chili Recipe

I was challenged to see if I could make a low-carb, no bean chili. I know there are lots of people who don't need beans in their chili. 

I am not one of them.

or at least I THOUGHT I wasn't one of them. I stand corrected. Very very very corrected.

This is a great chili --- it has all the spice, kick, texture, and heartiness of chili but doesn't have a single bean.  I hate it when I'm wrong.

The Ingredients.
serves 8


2 pounds beef stew meat (frozen is fine)
10 ounces smoked andouille sausages, sliced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can)
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (or about 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups beef broth

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I didn't brown anything for this recipe, but merely plopped it all in and turned the slow cooker on. Load everything into your cooker --- meat, sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and all the seasonings. Stir in the broth. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. For chili, the longer the better, in my opinion -- get the flavors to really meld together and provide the meat an opportunity to fall apart.

If you'd like, you can help the meat out by shredding it completely with two large forks, or you can even pulse a few times with a handheld stick blender to naturally thicken the gravy/sauce (what do you call the juice in chili?). 

Serve with your favorite toppings. My kids really like the Scoops chips that Tostitos puts out -- they ate their bowls that way.

The Verdict.
I served this on a chili night to three other families, because I was eager to test out a no-bean version. The crock was scraped clean! I've made quite a few chilis the past few years, and love having a new one to share. I think you'll really enjoy it.

Have a great day! Here are a few other chili recipes you might enjoy, and feel free to share your favorites --- you can never have too many chili options!

pizza chili
enchilada chicken chili
white bean chili
poor man's chili
sweet potato chili (vegan!)
traditional chili
21-Ingredient chili




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Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

We finished up the first week of Crocktober by celebrating my oldest's birthday --- she turned eleven, and while I type, there are seven 11-year-old girls giggling over a rather rowdy game of Clue. We hosted a sleepover last night, and it went really well. She has chosen some pretty fantastic friends, and I am so proud of her.


I was searching through the archives, and found this post I wrote during my 2008 Challenge about her birthday (there's also a caramel apple recipe). It made me cry this morning; I'm turning sappy in my old age!

anyhow.

I've got a great easy recipe for this week's meal plan. Depending on the size of your hunk of meat (I used beef, you can certainly use lean pork, or a bunch of turkey or chicken thighs) this meal can easily be stretched into a next-day soup or casserole.

The Ingredients
serves 6


3 pound hunk of beef (pot roast, tri-tip, rump roast; frozen is just fine!)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained (or 1 cup frozen)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can)
1 (4-ounce) can fire roasted diced chiles (whole can, I used mild)
1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning (check for hidden gluten, or make your own)

Homemade Taco Seasoning:
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the meat into the bottom of your pot, and add the black beans, corn, tomatoes, and chiles. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning, and stir carefully with a large spoon to distribute spices. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Using two large forks, shred meat completely and stir well. Serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings.

The Verdict

This is a big hit in my house. Adam and the girls (and me too!) really love Mexican food and could easily eat this once a week. I like that the beans and the corn help stretch the meat and I can fill us up rather inexpensively.

Have a great week! I'm headed to Philadelphia (I've never been before, and am excited!) to appear on Good Day Philadelphia on Tuesday morning to help publicize the Ninja Cooking System. If you live in the area, wave at the TV! :-)

other taco-type recipes you might like:
Shredded Beef Korean Tacos
Easy Taco Night
Creamy Tacos
Taco Dip
Carnitas

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Smoky Turkey and Black Bean Soup

Happy Crocktober!! 

This is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not only is it officially Slow Cooking Season, the leaves are crunchy, and the pumpkins are out. It's still too hot, here, to wear bulky sweaters --- but I've got them pulled out from under-the-bed storage and on the ready.

Today's soup was an inspiration from a recipe my mom printed out from Cooking.com. I liked the idea of using cooked bacon for the smoky flavor, but didn't want to thaw any out and actually cook it -- so I improvised and used Liquid Smoke (and cut out a bunch of fat, too!).  I also used fresh instead of deli turkey and omitted the cocoa powder.


The soup I ended up with is perfect. I gobbled (ha! that wasn't even a premeditated turkey reference!) down a bowl and a half before Adam came home with the kids from soccer practice, then sat and ate another full bowl with them at the table. (I didn't want to tell them that I already ate. That would be rude, and I'm a very polite person...)

The Ingredients
serves 6 (freezes well!)

1.5 pounds turkey cutlets
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (no need to thaw)
1 cup frozen corn
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (use the whole can; there's no additional salt added)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (the whole can)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 cups chicken broth
(salt to taste if needed at the table)

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I didn't pre-brown anything--- this is a complete dump and go recipe, and can be left for a long period of time. Load everything into the cooker---- there's really no need to follow a certain order; it's soup. It's all going to get stirred around anyway.
Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours; I cooked ours on low for exactly 8 hours.
Remove turkey cutlets with tongs, and shred the meat completely. Return to the pot and stir well. If desired (I did do this), pulse a few times with a hand-held immersion blender to naturally thicken the broth. If you don't have a hand-held immersion blender, you can remove a cup of the soup and blend it in a traditional blender, then return to the pot and stir to combine.

The Verdict

The smoky flavor really comes through, and makes the house smell absolutely wonderful while it's cooking. I liked how the spinach mixed around with the beans and the corn -- my kids didn't try to pick out the spinach at all, but instead happily ate their dinner. I served drop biscuits made from Pamela's gluten free baking mix on the side.

Enjoy your Crocktober! Remember to check out the daily giveaways, and sign up to have them come to your inbox so you never miss out! 

past Crocktober favorites:
zesty burger soup
orange beef
Italian Rice
vegetarian tortilla soup
sausage and lentil stew
oreo cheesecake
tex mex potroast
vegetarian stuffed bell peppers
turtle pudding

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