Free Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips

beans to the slow-cooker insert.
    cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce is thickened.
    serve the chili from the cooker set on warm.
    serves 8–10

Ryan’s Chili
    My son, the sports blogger, loves to eat chili while watching games. His chili is just meat in a thick sauce—no beans to complicate things—and enough spice to make it interesting. This is a simple chili, but it’s always a crowd pleaser, and it’s terrific over baked potatoes, burgers, or dogs at a barbecue. Don’t forget the shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped red onion for garnish!
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    2 pounds 15-percent lean ground beef
    2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    Salt
    Pinch of cayenne pepper
    2 teaspoons cornmeal
    2 cups beef broth
    4 cups tomato sauce
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Tortilla chips for garnishing
    Shredded Cheddar cheese for garnishing
    Chopped red onion for garnishing
    heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef and brown, breaking up any large pieces.
    transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the chile powder, oregano, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, and the cayenne to the same skillet and cook until the spices are fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds.
    add the cornmeal to the pan and stir until the mixture thickens. Add the broth and whisk until smooth. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and stir in the tomato sauce.
    cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the chili is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
    serve the chili in bowls and garnish with tortilla chips, shredded Cheddar cheese, and chopped red onion.
    serves 8

Lone Star Sirloin Chili
    Because this Tex-Mex favorite will serve an army, you can make a batch and freeze for up to six weeks. Real Texas chili, according to my Texan friends, doesn’t include beans or tomatoes. Since I’m not a real Texan, I’ve adapted this recipe to make it a crowd pleaser using Lone Star beer and chunks of sirloin and black beans. When you serve it, provide a condiment bar with tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, and chopped pickled jalapeños for your guests to add as they please.
    2½ pounds beef sirloin, cut into ½-inch pieces
    2 teaspoons salt
    Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
    4 tablespoons olive oil
    2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño
    2 teaspoons ancho chile powder (see savvy)
    ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    ¼ cup cornmeal
    2 cups beef broth
    One 12-ounce bottle Lone Star or other beer
    One 14- to 15-ounce can tomato purée
    Two 14- to 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
    ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    sprinkle the beef evenly with the salt and cayenne (if using). Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides.
    transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
    lower the heat to medium-low and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeño, chile powder, cumin, and oregano and sauté until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes, being careful to stir the mixture so the chile powder doesn’t burn. Add the cornmeal and stir until blended with the other ingredients, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, whisking, and bring to a boil.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the beer, tomato purée, and beans. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened.
    skim off any fat from the top of the chili and stir in the cilantro before serving.
    serves 8–10
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    chile savvy
    Ancho chile powder can be found in the Hispanic section of your grocery store and sometimes in the spice section. If you would prefer to use an all-purpose chili