Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Chili

This recipe makes a wonderful, HUGE pot of chili with a complex flavor, sweet, subtle vegetal undertone and just a little heat. It's a great way to sneak in extra veggies, too! You can always up the heat, but my family likes it pretty mild and this isn't a very spicy dish. It really stretches a pound of lean ground beef to feed a crowd, too! It's not a quick meal, but it isn't difficult (despite the long directions!) and it freezes well. The leftovers are amazing. You'll need a big crockpot for this recipe, at least 5 QT. This easily makes 16 1-cup servings, if not more.

You can vary the vegetables being roasted with whatever you have on hand that is seasonal. You could also add 1 lb. cooked pumpkin or 1 15-oz. can cooked pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!) for a creamy texture and added veggie goodness, plus a subtle sweet back flavor. Pumpkin isn't in season here, but I've made chili with pumpkin and quite enjoyed it. I've also added chipotle in adobo, one or two peppers, for heat and smokiness, but I am out.

The cocoa powder isn't CORE, but there isn't enough to add Points to the recipe, so it's CORE.


Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Chili

Roasted Vegetables:
1-2 red bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 mild green chili
1-2 carrots
1 zucchini
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin seeds or ground cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1 head of garlic

Coarsely chop all vegetables. Coat with the olive oil, tomato paste, and spices. Spread the mixture in a 13"x9" pan. In the corner of the pan, place a whole head of garlic with the top 1/3 cut off, drizzled with olive oil. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meat mixture:
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced finely
1 mild green chile, diced finely, or 1 4-oz can diced green chiles, drained
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
just a splash of hot sauce, like Tabasco
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. TVP (texturized vegetable protein) reconstituted in 1 c. boiling water or broth for 5 minutes (optional - it has a texture similar to ground beef, so it helps stretch the beef in the chili)
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
another splash of hot sauce, like Tabasco
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 c. broth (vegetable or beef)

In a 12" skillet, NOT non-stick, saute the vegetables in the olive oil-hot sauce mixture until translucent. Add beef, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and spices, and cook until brown, breaking into small bits. Once it is all browned, add the reconstituted TVP and mix well. Pour into a heated crockpot. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the 1 c. broth and reduce by half, then pour the broth into the crockpot.

Crockpot Chili ingredients:
Meat mixture
Roasted vegetables, EXCEPT GARLIC, processed in the food processor until it's about the consistency of salsa. (This is tasty as a salsa, too)
Roasted garlic, squeezed out of the papers and mashed in a small bowl

4 15-oz cans beans, drained and rinsed (black, kidney, and pinto beans all work well in this)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste (less the 1 T. used in the veggies)
1 T. chili powder
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. coriander
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)

Mix all the ingredients except corn together in the heated bowl of the crockpot. Stir well to combine, then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add the corn in the last 30 minutes.