Fall means football, tail gate parties, bonfires and chili. Chili is considered a requirement for tail gate parties in some parts of the country. Chili is one of those versatile foods that can be made to satisfy almost every individual taste.

I am sure if you search long enough, you will find as many chili recipes as you find chili cooks. You may even more recipes than cooks. It seems that the basic ingredients for chili include tomatoes, meat and seasoning. You can add many interesting ingredients to create a chili that tempts your family.

I like my chili full of beans, hominy and corn. My husband prefers no beans. My son likes chili that is spicy enough to light his insides on fire. My daughter is not a big fan of spice. I developed this recipe to satisfy all of us.

Smoky Hot Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb roast
• 32 oz can tomatoes
• 16 oz enchilada sauce
• 1 TB cinnamon
• 1 TB oregano
• 1 TB black pepper
• 1 TB chili powder
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• ¼ cup chopped banana peppers

Recipe Directions:

• Cut the roast into 1 inch cubes.
• Place in medium size crock pot.
• Add tomatoes, enchilada sauce and spices.
• Cook on low for 6 hours in crock pot.
• Add mixed vegetables and banana peppers and cook for additional 30 minutes.

Make it a meal:

Serve bowls of chili with your favorite toppings. We like sour cream and cheddar cheese. Sometimes we add a corn bread muffin or a biscuit with butter. I always put the Tobasco sauce out for folks who want extra hot kick.

[bctt tweet=”Spicy smoky hot chili, perfect for a cold day. Simple recipe using your crockpot. Come get it! ” username=”ApronFreeCook”]

Approximate Nutritional Value:

Servings per Recipe: 12, Per Serving: Calories: 336, Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 92mg, Sodium: 472mg, Total Carbs: 11g, Protein: 30g.

Variations:

You can substitute any roast: venison, pork, chuck or round. Ground meat should be browned before combining with other ingredients and will only need to cook until contents are heated through. Add some beans if you want to make a thicker soup.

If you like, serve the chili over rice or spaghetti. This makes a good meal, but is easier to eat sitting down. For tail gate parties, provide guests with Styrofoam cups to use for the chili if you already have them on hand for cider and coffee.

A handy way to fix and eat chili is to use the individual serving bags of corn chips, tear open just the top and pour a small amount of chili into the bag over the chips. Add some shredded cheese and you have got walking around tacos. Beware; you will want to allow the chili to cool a fair bit so you don’t burn your fingers through the bag.

Left over chili keeps in the refrigerator for a week and freezes well also. Left over chili can be used as filling for tacos, served as a topping on nacho chips or added to ground beef for sloppy joe sandwiches.

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