This recipe was created when I wanted to start doing Meatless Mondays AND I was looking for chili that wasn’t ketchup based. Really, I was looking for a clean-eating chili that I could pop in the crockpot and have dinner ready when I got home from picking the kids up from school. It has turned into one our families favorite recipes! I love to share it too because it feels indulgent but totally isn’t. It’s perfect for a cool fall day, snowy winter night or rainy spring. It’s a perfect meal for a ski weekend too! Definitely keep this one on the ready!
Another thing I LOVE about this recipe is it makes a ginormous amount. Usually we make the chili one night, freeze at least half of it and have a easy freezer meal for another night when we’re ready for it again. So it’s super budget friendly!! It’s a “Dump” dinner too. You pretty much just dump a whole bunch of cans in your crockpot. You really can’t go wrong with this one.
Last note, one of my three kids is a real meat eater so I had to start adding meat to it to get her to eat it. So it’s your choice… meatless or meat lovers!
Ingredients
1 Can of each:
Black Beans
Dark Kidney Beans
Navy Beans
Pinto Beans
Light Kidney Beans
Pumpkin Puree
Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Bell Peppers Diced – 2 – 3 any color
Shredded Carrots – 1 Cup
Shredded Zucchini – 1 Cup
2 – 4 Tablespoons Chili Seasoning – Here’s a link to my FAVORITE
1 lb ground beef browned (OPTIONAL)
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Drain and rinse beans and add them to the crockpot.
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Add pumpkin, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini & chili seasonings to the crockpot.
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Check the thickness. I usually add at least a cup but sometimes up to 3 cups of water.
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Brown your meat and pop it on your crockpot if you are adding it.
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Add salt to taste and cook on low for 8 hours or more.
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Enjoy!
