CHILI CROCKPOT OR STOVE TOP OR BOTH

Steps:

• 1. Chop up bacon and fry it in a 14 inch frying pan until it just begins to cook. Remove bacon but leave bacon grease in pan.
• 2. Brown ground beef in pan with bacon grease. Using your spatula to chop up beef while cooking.
• 3. Once beef is browned, add beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato pastes, onions, chili powder, beef broth (or water/bouillon) and cayenne into the crock pot. If you do not have a large crock pot, continue by using your stove top in a large pot on low heat.
• 4. Take the sliced jalepenos, garlic and fresh tomatoes and place into a bullet or food processor to puree. Then put into crockpot/large pot and stir. Add remaining herbs,bacon and sugar and taste. Add salt to your taste
• 5. If your crockpot is large enough, cook for 10 hours on low or 4-5 on high. If you are cooking stove top, then cook on low for about 1 1/2 hours and stir occasionally. If you used fresh kidney beans they may still be a little tough. But pull out your crock pot and fill it with chili. Any remaining chili place in a freezer bag and freeze it for future use in your crock pot. I cooked mine on low for 5 hours and then left in on keep warm until I was ready to serve people which was several hours later. It came out perfect! The heat of the chili gets better as it sits longer. But serve it with my cornbread as it compliments it well!
• 6. QUICK FRESH KIDNEY BEANS: As you know kidney beans are usually soaked over night. If you didn't do it like me, just put them in a pot of water with some salt and once the pot reaches a boil, cover the pot, turn off the stove and remove pot from burner and let it sit for no less than an hour. I let mine sit for 5 hours and I don't think it made much difference from 1 hour. Remember, it will also cook in the crock pot.