Since the kids have been back in school, my crock pot and I have been practically been joined at the hip.
Call me a total nerd, but I love crock pot recipes! They are such a time saver. Especially if you have to drive your kids all over timbuck2 and back for sports practice and games everyday after school. Seriously, being able to make dinner ahead of time is awesome.
You know what else is awesome? Dried pinto beans.
Why? Because they are cheap, cheap, cheap. Generally I pick up a 25 pound bag from Costco once every 18 months just so I can make homemade chili and refried beans. This recipe for crock pot chili is just about as easy as it gets.
Here is how to make it.
Easy Crock Pot Meals – Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups dried pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
{2} 9 oz cans tomato puree
{1} 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the pinto beans over night in your slow cooker over night on low.
- In the morning, rinse off the beans and place the back in the slow cook with all the remaining ingredients.
- Stir, and turn on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the beans have softened. Be sure and stir the chili everyone in a while.
Notes
If you like ground beef or chicken in your chili, cook it ahead of time and just toss it in the crock pot when you mix all the ingredients together.
Serve with cornbread or warm rolls. Easiest dinner ever!
Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Check out Crock-Pot Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes.
runner2009 says
Yes, you are a total nerd!!!! LOL …. Honestly Mavis, you need to slow down on the post, the garden, the cooking … You are making all of us mortals look bad…..
Megan says
Can’t wait to try this! Too bad I made chili for dinner tonight… now I have to wait a week or two.
Do you have a re-fried bean recipe? I’ve tried one from pinterest… *nothing* like the canned stuff (which, of course, my family loves).
Mavis says
Yes Megan I do. I’ll try and get it posted this week for you. 🙂
subienkow says
Crock pots are awesome. That’s all there is to it. I work in the fire service, and yes, we like to cook. In the winter months though, when the sun is scarce and people get “the blahs”, we use the crock pot to cook. Load it up in the morning, and as the day goes by, the smell permeates and lifts everyone’s spirits a little.
The big problem is getting guys to LEAVE IT ALONE.
I read somewhere that for every second the cover is off, it takes 20 minutes to recover that heat. I don’t know if it’s true, but if I say it with an authoritative tone, most people believe it!
Cheri says
I am not sure why the recipe says to put the beans on low over night. Yes, you should soak the beans, but in my experience don’t even turn on the slow cooker until the morning. I followed this recipe and the beans were completly done, soft and ready to actually make refried beans in the morning, wich of course was not the intended idea.