Garden Fresh Chili

We've been having cold, rainy weather which makes me want to cozy up with a mug of hot chili.  I have been making this garden fresh chili with peppers and tomatoes from the garden and it is hearty and delicious.  It's also packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals making it a healthy choice.  

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We grew both bell peppers and sweet jalapeños this summer and either is perfect in this chili.  If you have peppers left to use, you can freeze them for recipes.  I just dice or slice them and freeze in zipper freezer bags.  

We have lots of fresh tomatoes from the garden that I still need to can and freeze so I diced fresh tomatoes for this pot of chili.  You can use frozen diced tomatoes or a 32 oz. can of diced tomatoes if you do not have fresh.  When freezing fresh tomatoes, I just dice them and put them in quart freezer bags for future use in recipes.  
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Can you make this chili in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! Simply brown the meat, peppers, onion, and garlic in a skillet then add this cooked mixture to your slow cooker. Next add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours until ready to serve. 

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 Garden Fresh Chili
 
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef or venison
1 sweet onion, diced
1 bell pepper or a few sweet jalapeños, seeded and diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 can 10 oz diced tomatoes with chilies (I use mild)
1 quart (4 cups) fresh diced tomatoes*
1 can (14-15.5 ounce) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14-15.5 ounce) pinto or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 T. cumin
2 T. chili powder or more to taste
1 tsp. creole seasoning (the one I use, amazon link)
1 tsp. coriander

For an even more amazing chili, these are some optional seasonings that we think makes this chili the most delicious chili ever! 
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. coconut sugar** or brown sugar
1 can 14.5 oz. stewed tomatoes*** 

Directions:
Brown ground beef or venison with onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour to blend flavors and tenderize the vegetables. 

Serve with:
Saltines, oyster crackers, corn chips, grated cheese (sharp cheddar or cheddar works well), diced sweet onion and sour cream
 

*You can freeze fresh diced tomatoes from the garden in quart zipper bags to use in this chili or you can use a 32 oz. can diced tomatoes. 

**Coconut sugar (affiliate link) is lower on the glycemic index so it is a healthier option over brown sugar. I use it all the time in cooking and baking. 

***(my husband LOVES stewed tomatoes, so I starting adding them and now he loves this chili even more!)

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