Anyone have any crock pot chili recipes that come out rather thick?? The one I usually try seems to have quite a bit of water to it.

I am thinking of trying this one next but am still concerned about whether it will be thick enough for the family's taste. http://southernfood.about.com/od/bee.../r/bl113c7.htm

[batman911]

Taltarzac,

You can thicken the chili by mixing flour with water and adding it to the mixture when you start cooking it. You can start with a few tablespoons and add more as you cook it to meet your taste.

By the way, I grew up in Texas and I believe you can be jailed for putting tomatoes in chili there.

Try this recipe if you want some healthier chili:

1 1/2 LB Ground Turkey
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Chili Powder
1 Tsp Salt
2/3 Cup Flour
1 Tbs Cumin Seed
4 Tsp Chopped Garlic
3 Cups Water
1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 Can of Chili Beans (15 OZ)

1. Defrost ground turkey if frozen. Place olive oil, chopped garlic and ground turkey in large frying pan and cook until lightly brown (stir as you cook).
2. Combine salt, ground black pepperflour and cumin seeds in a separate bowl and add to meat when meat is done cooking. Stir until meat is covered with mixture.
3. Add 1 cup of water to thin the mixture.
4. Place chili beans and 2 cups of water into crock pot.
5. Add meat mixture to crock pot.

Cook on high until chili starts to bubble. Turn heat down to low and cook for several hours (stir every half hour or so). You can adjust the seasoning and thickness during cooking (more salt or flour/water to thicken more). Use less chili powder if you are sensitive to heat.

Originally Posted by batman911

Taltarzac,

You can thicken the chili by mixing flour with water and adding it to the mixture when you start cooking it. You can start with a few tablespoons and add more as you cook it to meet your taste.

By the way, I grew up in Texas and I believe you can be jailed for putting tomatoes in chili there.

Try this recipe if you want some healthier chili:

1 1/2 LB Ground Turkey
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Chili Powder
1 Tsp Salt
2/3 Cup Flour
1 Tbs Cumin Seed
4 Tsp Chopped Garlic
3 Cups Water
1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 Can of Chili Beans (15 OZ)

1. Defrost ground turkey if frozen. Place olive oil, chopped garlic and ground turkey in large frying pan and cook until lightly brown (stir as you cook).
2. Combine salt, ground black pepperflour and cumin seeds in a separate bowl and add to meat when meat is done cooking. Stir until meat is covered with mixture.
3. Add 1 cup of water to thin the mixture.
4. Place chili beans and 2 cups of water into crock pot.
5. Add meat mixture to crock pot.

Cook on high until chili starts to bubble. Turn heat down to low and cook for several hours (stir every half hour or so). You can adjust the seasoning and thickness during cooking (more salt or flour/water to thicken more). Use less chili powder if you are sensitive to heat.

This looks good batman911. Thank you.

[njbchbum]

Since you're not making your chili in Texas Taltarzac [], if you want to use the tomatoes in a recipe, you might add tomato paste to the cooker. I have found that the paste is needed whenever I make a meal with a tomato sauce base. I need a minimum of one small can of paste to one large can of tomatoes...maybe more depending on the meal.

I have seen some Better Homes and Gardens recipes call for using a teaspoon or so of tapioca [not the pudding] which will act as a thickener.

And of course there is my sister's old standby of cornstarch - not my preference, but it works for her!

[zcaveman]

I always thought chili needed some liquid to it otherwise it is a goulash.

Is the liquid from the sauces or from the ground meat? I don't use a slow cooker but after I brown the meat and onions, I usually drain the liquid (and fat) from the pot before adding any of the other ingredients.

[KayakerNC]

When I cook chili in a pot, it's covered for the first couple of hours, and then uncovered for about the last 45 minutes of cooking. The uncovered is what allows the chili to thicken to however you like it.
Crock Pot? Maybe if you were to add a package of the chili seasoning, which contains spices and a thickening agent (usually found in the gravy section of the grocery store) it would be more to your liking. Personally, I'll stick to the stove-top.

Originally Posted by zcaveman

I always thought chili needed some liquid to it otherwise it is a goulash.

Is the liquid from the sauces or from the ground meat? I don't use a slow cooker but after I brown the meat and onions, I usually drain the liquid (and fat) from the pot before adding any of the other ingredients.

...comes from a combination of those from the ground meat, sauces, and especially from all the water in this recipe. 3 cups + that from the undrained 15 ounce of chili beans.

The recipe is from Linda Larsen's Church Potluck Slow Cooker. The "Cowboy Chili" turns out well except there is a lot of fluid created in it from cooking 8-9 hours. The other chili recipes she mentions seem to use less water. http://busycooks.about.com/od/soupan...ilirecipes.htm

[Allen]

I do most of the cooking (for better or worse) and take the “open the pantry and see what I can cram together” approach. The good thing is that it’s a lot of fun this way, and most of the time it turns our great. The one bad thing is that I usually can’t remember what I did, so to duplicate it is a major challenge. The other bad thing is when nobody wants it duplicated… ever again!

As far as my chili goes however, I am pretty consistent and it gets rave reviews. This is a “fly by the seat of your pants” approach but try it if you want to add some spontaneity, and “spice things up” a bit (no pun intended).

With that said, remember that you will want to just follow your instincts on this. Measurements are approximate and subject to change, your whims, whether or not it “looks right”, and taste tests as you go.

Ready?

1. Grab about a pound of real ground beef (none of that super lean stuff).

2. Pour some cooking oil in a large pot (just cover the bottom so nothing sticks when cooking). You need a big one so you have “room for this thing to grow”.

3. Pour a full measure of your favorite adult beverage into a large glass.

4. Consume. (This oils the cook).

5. Using Medium Heat, add about half of a sliced onion to the simmering pot… not the adult beverage. (Onion is optional, and to taste.) Cook until just soft.

6. Dump in the meat, and brown it. (It’s best if the meat is thawed first, although you can nuke it to soften it and break it up in the pot as it cooks, if you forgot to take it out of the freezer earlier. I told you this was a rather loose approach.)

7. Add a few cans (about 3... give or take) of Chili Beans, and/or Red Kidney Beans. More Chili beans = more chili flavor. I like to mix ’em with the red beans for color. Hanover brand Dark Red Kidney beans have a nice thick sweet sauce.

8. Add one or two cans of stewed tomatoes (Drained first… Crush out the water by pushing the lid into the inverted can… over the sink).

9. Add about one half to three quarters of a jar of 24 oz. Picante Sauce. (I usually use Pace brand - Medium strength. If you want more “zip” use more picante sauce and less stewed tomatoes and vice versa.)

10. Taste it again and sprinkle in some salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and/or onion powder (or whatever else seems like a good idea at the time… including more or less of the above ingredients).

11. Bring this concoction to a boil, then simmer for about an hour partially covered. Stir it often. It will be thick (to your liking) before you know it… and ready to eat! The leftovers will be even thicker tomorrow, so don’t over cook it.

12. If it doesn’t turn out so well, repeat steps 3 and 4 above.

[Dirigo]

Brown one package of ground meat of your choice, add a large can of baked beans of your choice, add 1/3 to 1/2 a bottle of salsa of your choice, heat and serve with grated cheese.

Not authentic, but fast and tasty. Don't knock it until you try it.

Dirigo

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by Dirigo

Brown one package of ground meat of your choice, add a large can of baked beans of your choice, add 1/3 to 1/2 a bottle of salsa of your choice, heat and serve with grated cheese.

Not authentic, but fast and tasty. Don't knock it until you try it.

Dirigo

I'm not knocking. Sometimes quick and easy fits the bill. However, I would add Allen's steps 3 & 4.

[graciegirl]

Then there is Cincinnati Chili that has cinnamon in it (!!)(as well as other ingrediencts including garlic and onion and ??? I usually open the can of sauce and add the browned ground beef.) It is served over spaghetti and has a LOT of grated cheese on top and drained chili beans and chopped raw onion.

Awfully tasty. It is Greek in origin but most of Cincinnati's original folks are German.

I can't figure it out either.

It is awfully good, Cincinnati Chili.

[Dirigo]

Originally Posted by Pturner

I'm not knocking. Sometimes quick and easy fits the bill. However, I would add Allen's steps 3 & 4.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by Pturner

I'm not knocking. Sometimes quick and easy fits the bill. However, I would add Allen's steps 3 & 4.

That can be added to most recipes!!

I finally got around to cokking the cowboy chili again and doubled the amount of flour. It did seem to be quite a bit thicker.

Still seems to be missing something though when compared with chili like you used to be able to get from Crispers. A family member sure misses the Crispers chili and I have been looking for a substitute.