friday food post : chili con carne

here is my chili recipe.  i'm posting it here because i'm sure you'd love it, but mostly because i combine three recipes out of two books... so it's kinda my own... and i don't need to keep getting out two recipes books when i could just have the whole recipe here.
it's a crockpot version... but, as all crockpot recipes go, you could make it the quick way too, if you're in a rush.  it's easy.  it's good.

1 lb ground beef
1 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. chopped green bell peppers
1 garlic clove, minced
14-1/2 oz. can of kidney beans, drained
16 oz. can pinto beans, drained
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
 1 T. + 2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1-1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp red pepper sauce

1. brown beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic in saucepan.  drain.
2. combine the rest of the ingredients in slow cooker.
3. cover.  cook on low 5-6 hours or high 3-4.
4. (opt.) serve in a bread bowl.  (i like it topped with cheese and sour cream.)

i usually double this recipe.  i at least tripled it this time, to put some in the freezer.  also, when making a large batch, as i have discussed before, it's more frugal to use dried beans instead of canned beans. 
recently i found out that one can (14-1/2oz or sometimes 16 oz) of beans is about 1 1/2- 1 2/3 cups of beans, depending on the beans and 2/3 c. of dried beans = about 1-1/2 c. cooked beans. so it'd take about 2/3 cup of dried beans to equal about 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beans.  so, in my world, that would make a lb. bag of dried beans = approximately 3 cans of cooked beans (but not until they're cooked, of course... which is the only set back.)
so, to make this recipe really easy for a large family (as i do) you can precook either a whole bag of red kidney beans and a bag of pintos ahead of time and put 1/3 of the cooked beans in a jar in the fridge for the next recipe that calls for a can of beans... or just cook 2/3 of the bags.  double the rest of the ingredients.  1 c. chopped onion is about 1/2 of a large onion.  2/3 c. of a green  bell pepper is probably half of one, but why use half because the other half will probably go bad in your fridge?!  go ahead and throw in a whole chopped up green pepper!  and then the garlic...  well, if you haven't put in too much garlic, you haven't put in enough!!!  easy peasy... i'm just making it difficult with all this "large family" gibberish.  the easiest way to make it is the way it's written.  i'm just trying to help you be frugal.  because that's how i am...


Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."