FIDDLE SLOW COOKER CHILI

photography Elizabeth Messina

This is a large bowl of chili to serve 4 people, so

there is more cheese than a normal serving.

This is another very hearty and filling recipe that will make you wonder how you can lose weight eating all of this yummy food. But I lost 20 pounds eating this way and when I did the nutritional analysis of the recipe it makes sense: one cup of this hearty and filling chili is only 262 calories and has 4.7 grams of fiber and 26.3 grams of protein. So even if you decide to have a larger serving of a cup and a half you are only at 393 calories.

Definitely a go to bed full and wake up thin dish!

I served my cup of chili Hawaiian style over a 1/2 cup of rice for an additional 120 calories and I put a tablespoon of sour cream for 30 calories and 1 tablespoon of extra sharp sharp cheddar cheese is 25 calories.)

If you want to make this a "veggie" challenge recipe you can add carrots, zucchini or some of your other favorite veggies.

FIDDLE SLOW COOKER CHILI

Makes 20 servings (1 cup per serving)

Beans, 6 cups cooked (I use pinquinto beans, but you can use kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans or any beans you like)

Ground Beef, 3 pounds

Kosher Salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons

Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Red Pepper Flakes, about 4 shakes

Chili Powder, 1 tablespoon

Yellow Onions, 2 diced

Garlic, 2 cloves minced

Cans Diced Tomatoes, 2 14.5-ounce cans

Can of Tomato Paste, 1 16-ounce can

Red Wine, 2 cups

Chili Powder, 2 tablespoons

Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon

Canned Diced Jalapenos, 3 tablespoons (use 1 tablespoon if you don't like spicy food or if you don't like spice at all then use green chiles instead. I personally put the whole 4 ounce can in)

Molasses, 1/3 cup

Corn, 1 16-ounce package frozen corn or 2 15.25-ounce cans of corn

Garnish:

Fresh lemon or lime juice

Sour Cream

Cheddar Cheese

Put 6 cups of precooked beans in slow cooker. (you can make the beans yourself the day before or you can use canned beans.)

Season ground beef with 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, ground pepper, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Then brown beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove to slow cooker with a slotted spoon. You want to leave the fat drippings in the pan to saute the onions.

Cook the diced onion in the fat drippings from the beef. Cook onion for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally until onions are soft. Five minutes into cooking the onions add the minced garlic. While the onion is cooking, put the beans, cans of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, chili powder, kosher salt, diced canned jalapenos and molasses into the slow cooker. (Basically all the remaining ingredients except the corn.)

When the onions are finished add them to the slow cooker and cook chili on high for at least 4 hours. After 4 hours you can turn it to low and let it cook as long as you'd like.

Add the frozen corn or canned corn about 30 minutes before serving.

Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese if you wish.

per one cup serving: 262 calories, 4.7 g fiber, 23.3 g protein, vitamin A 17%, vitamin C 17%, Iron 24%

Maili's Note: If you do not have a slow cooker you can still use all of the above ingredients in a pot simmering on the stove. The cooking time on the stove will be cut in half and it will only take about 2 hours to cook.