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Last updated on December 5th, 2022 at 04:18 am

Chili with beans or no beans





Slow Cooker Chili in a Bread Bowl recipe tips and variations
More ways to enjoy this chili:
- This is a great topping for chili dogs, of course.
- Try it on nachos.
- Top a baked potato with chili, cheese, and sour cream.
- Make loaded french fries or tater tots with chili, cheese, and chives or diced onion.
Chili toppings to try:
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced red onion
- diced green onion
- chopped avocado or guacamole
- tortilla strips
- tortilla chips
- crumbled queso fresco
- sliced jalapenos
- sour cream
- Greek yogurt
- chopped fresh cilantro
Recipe tips:
- This is a great recipe if you have a lot of home-canned garden tomatoes you need to use up.
- Add more of your favorite beans to bulk up this meal for a larger group or family.
- Any ground meat can be used in place of the ground beef, such as chicken or turkey, if you want a lower-calorie option.
- Use Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger meat substitute if you’re looking for a vegetarian option.
- We used coconut sugar in this recipe for a healthier option, but brown sugar can be used as well.
- Eliminate the coconut sugar, and this is a Whole 30 recipe!
- Note that the nutrition information (below the recipe) is for the chili only and does not consider the bread bowls or garnish.

Hearty Slow Cooker Chili in a Bread Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Ground Beef
- 1 – 14.5 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 – 14.5 oz. Can Rotel Tomatoes
- 1 – 6 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 – 4 oz. Can Tomato Paste
- 1 Medium Onion Diced
- 5 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 4 Tbsp. Coconut Sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic
- Optional — 2 – 15-16 oz. Cans of Beans These can be 2 cans of kidney beans or 1 can kidney and 1 pinto or black beans. Choose your favorites.
- bread/rolls to serve the chili in
Instructions
-
Brown ground meat and diced onion together in a skillet until meat is cooked through. Strain off excess fat, and place in slow cooker.
-
Add spices and sugar to ground beef, and stir to combine. Then, add canned beans (if desired), tomatoes, sauce, and paste, and stir to combine.
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Slow cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
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Cut off the top off the bread/rolls, and hollow out the center a bit. Then add the chili.
-
Garnish as desired.
Recipe Notes
This is a great recipe if you have lots of home-canned garden tomatoes to use up.
Add more of your favorite beans to bulk up this meal for a larger group or family.
Any ground meat can be used – such as chicken or turkey for a lower calorie option.
Use Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger meat substitute for a vegetarian option.
This is a great topping for chili dogs, of course, but my family likes it on nachos too!
We used coconut sugar in this recipe for a healthier option, but brown sugar could be used as well.
Nutrition information is for the chili only and does not consider the bread bowls or garnish.
Eliminate the coconut sugar and this is a Whole 30 recipe!
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