January 13, 2017

Slow Cooker Beef Chili With Bacon

Name: Slow Cooker Beef Chili With Bacon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 380 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 ounces no nitrite bacon; 1 onion diced; 1 red pepper diced; 1 pound ground beef; 1 clove of garlic (minced); 1 tablespoons oregano; 1 tablespoons smoked paprika; 1 tablespoons ground coriander; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 3 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes; 1 tablespoon Bragg's apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon salt; pepper to taste

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Beef chili with bacon is the perfect hearty meal. Then just add your favorite toppings!

I’m writing this from the local coffee shop where I’m enjoying some special time with my daughter, Nicole. What could make the day more wonderful? Well, how about knowing that there’s a tasty beef chili with bacon simmering away in the slow cooker back home, and I don’t have to worry about dinner? 😉

It’s easy to find yourself spending a lot of time at home during the winter (especially all those days when you end up getting snowed in!), so today Nicole suggested we go out for a little bit and work on our blogs from the coffee shop. Before we headed out, I prepared this beef chili and set it to cook in the slow cooker.

It only takes about twenty minutes to prep the veggies and meat for the slow cooker. And then by the evening, voilà! You’ll have a healthy and hearty meal ready to serve for dinner. The chili is both paleo and gluten free!

Beef chili is one of the first recipes I shared here on the blog. I used to make it on the stovetop, but it’s even more awesome in the slow cooker. Simmering meat and fresh veggies low and slow all day in their natural juices is a nutritious way to cook. And the clean up is so fast and easy too.

For the best tasting meat, I recommend grass-fed. It’s healthier and contains more nutrients than its grain-fed counterpart. I was able to find grass-fed ground beef on sale at the supermarket (yay!). If you can’t find it in your supermarket, you may be able to locate a local farm in your area at this site.

Are these pictures making you hungry, yet? 🙂

I use my two and a half quart slow cooker when I make chili. It’s similar to this one. So I have to do my prepping in a separate skillet.

First, cook the bacon (no nitrate bacon is best). I make the whole 8-ounce package of bacon. Then I put it in the refrigerator to be cut up and added to the chili later.

Don’t drain the pan you used to make the bacon. Add your diced onions and bell peppers to that pan. Let them sauté in the bacon grease for about 10 minutes. Yum.

Next, add the ground beef, breaking up the meat with a spatula and incorporating the peppers and onion. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Then transfer the mixture to your slow cooker.

Now stir in the crushed tomatoes, garlic, and spices with the meat in the slow cooker. Stir it all up. Set your slow cooker to low for 6-7 hours, and that’s it.

Just before you’re ready to serve, stir in a tablespoon of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar for a real flavor boost. It’s one hundred percent gluten free, and one hundred percent nourishing to your body. Read more about apple cider vinegar here.

Now for the bacon. Chop up your cooked bacon and stir that in too. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!

Next time you have a busy day (maybe you’re heading out with friends or going to the gym or shopping) and you don’t want to worry about dinner, this beef chili will come to the rescue. Just prep the meat and veggies and let your slow cooker do its magic.

What toppings do you like to add to your chili? Sometimes I stir in goat cheese or some Jalapeño peppers. When you make this recipe, share your snap on Instagram and tag @glutenfreehomestead. I always love seeing your photos.

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