Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Chili

Well, it took a couple of weeks, but now our nights are busy again.  After school activities have kicked off this week.  We’re exhausted and very thankful it’s Friday. I don’t know how some families do it.  We are only busy a couple of nights a week and it throws us for a loop.  All of you out there with something going every night amaze me!

As per tradition, our Tuesday night activities run late, so I’m trying to keep up the tradition of having something ready and waiting in the Crock Pot for us when we finally stumble back home.  I came across this recipe in this month’s Family Circle magazine.  Usually, my kids aren’t big on chili, but I thought I’d give this one a try because it was just a little bit out of the norm.

Instead of spicy, Southwestern based flavors, this chili looked to be sweeter, and more BBQ based, with just a little kick at the end.  I crossed my fingers, hoping that it would be a hit, and got to work.

I started by slicing up a two-pound beef chuck roast into 2-inch cubes.  You could also use a brisket for this recipe, but I couldn’t find one that was large enough.  The chuck roast worked out just fine.

One of the nice things about this meal is, you don’t have to brown up the meat before throwing it in the Crock Pot.  I love that!!

I added the beef, a chopped onion, and some minced garlic to the slow cooker, and then got working on my sauce.

The sauce was simple to throw together too!  In a bowl, I mixed together a can of stewed tomatoes, some ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, dry mustard, and cumin.

I stirred it all together, poured it over the beef in the Crock Pot, stirred it up, and set it to cook on low for 10 hours.

As the day wore on, the house started to smell so good.  If you would have walked in my house that day, you never would have guessed that we were having chili for dinner.  (Which was exactly what I was going for with the kids!)  Thankfully, when they came home, they both mentioned how good dinner smelled.  Score!

We went along on our merry way, doing homework, having snacks and rushing out the door to activities.  Thankfully, my husband was able to pick Emily up that night, so I headed back home to finish up dinner.

About 30 minutes before dinner, I rinsed and drained a can of kidney beans and a can of cannellini beans.

Then, I stirred them into the pot with the chili.  The chili, at this point, looked rich and dark, and I could tell that the meat was beautifully fork-tender and almost ready to go.

When we were all back home and ready to eat, I served the chili over some rice, sprinkled it with some chopped green onions and gave everyone a slice of lime to squeeze over the top.

Both of the girls looked at it with a nervous glint in their eyes, but once they tasted it, they were put at ease.  They really liked it!  Emily even said that this chili was the first chili she’d ever enjoyed!  Aaron and I thought it was great, too.  It was sweet, and smoky, with just enough spice.  The meat was deliciously flavored, and perfectly tender.  It hadn’t wasted away to slow cooker mush.  (Which is always a good thing!)  Plus, it was different, and we’re always up for different.

The first slow cooker Tuesday of the school year was a success!

SLOW COOKER BBQ BEEF CHILI

Adapted from Family Circle