Autumn. Perfect weather for carving pumpkins, watching football and eating chili. The Ranting Chef is excited to host the Diced! Chili Cook-off. We have a number of competitors that have submitted a chili recipe and post for consideration. For three out of five weeks I will post four entries each week. At the end of each week a poll will be opened to vote on your favorite from the week. The poll will be open from Friday to the following Wednesday. The top 3 vote getters in each week will be pitted against each other at the end to determine the winner. Check out today’s post from Brittani at Broccoli Babbles…
Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili
Chili is normally associated with lots of ground beef and very few vegetables, but let me take a minute to change your way of thinking. This Vegetarian Crock-Pot Chili recipe will have you hurling the package of ground beef back into the fridge section of your grocery store. You’ll immediately run for the produce section and wonder why you ever assumed that chili just had to be meaty. Your mind will be blown by the flavors and textures that come out of this simple and healthy recipe.
Crock Pots are a heaven send. Seriously. What did we do before those things? I cannot even fathom. How beautiful is it to throw a few ingredients into a big pot before work and then return home after a long, hard day to a delicious meal that is ready to be gobbled up? The heavenly aroma that fills your entire house while chili is cooking is just an added bonus…
This recipe is a huge go-to for us. It is so cheap to make, easy to whip up and even makes enough leftovers to feed us for days. It’s perfect for your Sunday Funday football parties and will easily feed your houseful of beer-guzzling men.
Dust off your Crock Pot and give yourself a break in the kitchen. You won’t regret it!
Ingredients:
1 can black beans (I’ve also used white kidney beans.)
2 cans diced tomatoes with chilies
1 bag frozen sweet corn
2 zucchini, peeled and diced
Fresh mushrooms, chopped (I use a ton; really no measurement here)
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbs chili powder
2 tsp paprika
Dash of red pepper flakes
Dash of cayenne pepper
*Fresh tomato juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: Chopped green onion, greek yogurt, hot sauce
*If you don’t have access to fresh tomato juice, store bought will work just fine. Just watch the ingredients (no need for all that funky stuff) and grab the next jar of fresh tomato juice you can get your hands on.
I literally throw all of this in the Crock Pot and cook it on low for 7 hours. Garnish with chopped green onion, a dollop of greek yogurt and some hot sauce if you’re feeling frisky. Now, sometimes my ingredients vary depending on what I have in the kitchen at the time, but for the most part, this is my go-to list. I am also notorious for adding in more chili powder and paprika at the end, depending on how feisty I’m feeling. Who says you can’t venture out and add your own flair to recipes every now and then?
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
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