It's quick, easy, and a great base for improvisation.
Advertisement

People can get a little obsessive about their favorite chili. And who can blame them? It's comforting, keeps well in the fridge, tastes better the next day, and you can make it with things you probably already have in your kitchen. Sure, you can work all day on a prize-winning Texas red chili, or you can get complicated with different spice combinations, but sometimes what you need is simple, easy chili that has ingredients that can all be thrown in your slow cooker before work. This is that chili. Zero fuss, zero complicated ingredients. Just a delicious, hearty, meaty flavor that works as well with rice as it does with corn chips or hot dogs.

GET THE RECIPE: EASY SLOW COOKER CHILI

Think of this as a pretty basic chili template, and don't be afraid to play with the ingredients. If you like spice, add more chile powder or a pinch of cayenne. If you want to make this vegetarian, just substitute the ground beef for more beans and skip the browning step. Got an extra bell pepper in the fridge that's looking a little sad? Throw it in there. The recipe makes a pretty saucy chili, so if you like it thicker, you can always add crushed up tortilla chips or saltine crackers. Or if you want something that's sure to come out tasting like classic chili, you don't need to add anything at all.