Freezer To CrockPot Southwest Chili...EASY and VERSATILE

I originally found this recipe on a great blog called The Family Freezer. I have made it many times and adapted it slightly each time. I love to make this for dinner on a chilly day, then make an additional one for the freezer. You never know when you might need it! It also makes a great gift to someone in need of a little extra time and nourishment (i.e. new baby, spouse is deployed, someone is ill, etc).

This is a versatile recipe, so feel free to add/substitute/omit as needed! For example, sometimes I use fresh red bell pepper, or other times frozen green bell pepper. I have tried ground beef, ground venison, ground pork, and ground chicken for this recipe, and they all taste great!

Note: I do not brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker or the freezer. It actually cooks very well in the slow cooker from a frozen state. 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat (beef, venison, pork, or chicken)

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 onion, diced

1 tsp minced garlic

1 bell pepper, chopped 

1 cup frozen corn

1 Tbsp honey

14 ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth (I use my yummy homemade broth!)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker & close lid.

Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. Stir once or twice, if you're around. This helps to break up the meat.

Serve however you like your chili! My favorite is shredded sharp cheddar, oyster crackers, and sour cream. 

For the additional freezer recipe, simply drop all the ingredients into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. I like to place the empty bag right next to the empty CrockPot, then fill each one simultaneously.  Seal and freeze flat on a tray. When you're ready to cook, dump the contents of the bag into the CrockPot, then cook on LOW for about 8 hours.