Day 45 – One of our favorite television shows for a long time was “The Big Bang Theory.” My son is a Sheldon. For a long time he would look at us and say “I am nothing like him!” We would all laugh because that is something Sheldon would say. Now he can look back on it and tell us, “I get it now.” Sheldon is from Texas and one thing he asks about when people make Texas chili is does it have beans in it? If it has beans in it that is NOT Texas chili.  My son hates beans and nuts. I am not sure if it a texture thing or a flavor thing. I think more texture when he chews them. Texas Style Beef Chili is perfect for him – no beans.

Verdict: This is super simple to make and has lots of great flavor. You can serve this with sour cream, cheese, green onions, tortilla chips,…. It is up to you! We went very simple this time with just a dollop of sour cream on top but we did serve it with Honey Cornbread which was delicious with it. Recipe tomorrow!

Tip: You can can add to the flavor of this dish if you wish by giving the meat a quick sear in a frying pan over medium-high heat with a couple tablespoons of butter. Once pieces are well browned remove pan and deglaze with a bit of the chicken stock scraping off all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan and adding that with the meat to your slow cooker. This step is not necessary but does add extra flavor to the dish.

[recipe title=”Texas Style Beef Chili – Slow Cooker” servings=”6-8″ time=”5-6 hours on low” difficulty=”easy”]

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. cubed beef stew meat
• Salt and pepper
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes or petite diced
•  1 cup beef stock
• Suggested toppings: sour cream, cheese, green onions, tortilla chips, etc…

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except suggested toppings in the bowl of your slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours until beef is cooked through and mixture is hot.
2. Taste and adjust spices to your liking.
3. Serve hot with toppings of your choice.

[/recipe]