Name: Slow-Cooker Classic Beef Chili
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients: 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces; 1/4 cup whole milk; Salt and pepper; 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 3 onions, chopped fine; 1/4 cup chili powder; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar; 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Why This Recipe Works

To develop the all-American chili we were looking for, we started with the base, choosing a combination of diced and pureed tomatoes to create the proper consistency. Next, we incorporated a generous combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes, bumping up the flavors even further with smoky chipotles. Browning the beef to develop flavor is standard in most traditional chilis, but this produced overcooked, gritty meat in the slow cooker. To fix this, we found mixing the raw beef with a panade—a mixture of bread and milk often used in meatballs—before browning it worked wonders. We also stirred in a little soy sauce to help boost the meaty flavor—maybe a tad unconventional for chili, but it worked.

Before You Begin

Serve with your favorite chili garnishes.

Cooking time: 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high

Slow cooker size: 5 to 7 quarts

Instructions

Mash bread, milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into paste in large bowl using fork. Add ground beef and knead with hands until well combined.

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chili powder, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add half of beef mixture and cook, breaking up beef with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining beef mixture. Stir in 1 cup tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir remaining tomato puree, diced tomatoes and their juice, beans, soy sauce, sugar, and chipotle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Using large spoon, skim fat from surface of chili. Break up any remaining large pieces of beef with spoon. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.