Weeknight Beef Chili

Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 2 slices high-quality bread, torn into quarters
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 lbs ground beef (85% lean)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 onions, minced
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (or 1 t. dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo

Recipe

• 1 mash bread and milk into paste in large bowl using fork.
• 2 mix in ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper using hands.
• 3 heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until shimmering.
• 4 add onions, chili powder, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
• 5 stir in beef mixture, 1 pound at a time, and cook, breaking up any large pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes per pound.
• 6 stir in 1 cup tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.
• 7 stir remaining tomato puree, diced tomatoes with juice, beans, soy sauce, sugar, and chipotles into slow cooker.
• 8 cover and cook until beef is tender, 6-8 hours on low or 3-5 hours on high.
• 9 let chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.
• 10 break up any remaining large pieces of beef with spoon.
• 11 season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.