White Chili

This one's made on the stove, but you could easily adapt it for the crockpot*.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic
6 teaspoons ground cumin
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground chicken
1 lb ground turkey
4 cups chicken stock
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried summer savory

Hot pepper sauce
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Garnishes: chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream

1. Heat vegetable oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add veal, chicken, and turkey and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until no longer pink, 8 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock, jalapeños, beans, marjoram and summer savory to meat mixture. Stir well. Add hot pepper sauce to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until chili is thick, about 1 1/2 hours.Serve chili with green onions, cheese and sour cream.
   

Serves 8 with lots of leftovers. Chili is always better on the second day, so make a batch and refrigerate it overnight. Serve white chili over turkey or chicken hotdogs for another meal.

*Crockpot notes: If I were making this for the crockpot, I'd sauté the meat first and put it in a 6-quart crockpot. Do not cook onions or garlic, just add them to the meat and stir. Stir in the jalapeño, beans, herbs and cumin and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Season with hot pepper sauce before serving.

Chili

This is a big hit with my boys. It makes a huge batch and is better the second day.

4 lbs. ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 32-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 16-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Toppings: sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped onions

Special equipment: 6-quart slow cooker

1. Using a large skillet, cook ground beef, in batches, over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink. Stir the meat well so that it crumbles. Drain each batch of meat and place it in the crockpot.
2. Stir in onions and the next 14 ingredients. Mix well.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 hours or on LOW 7 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve with desired toppings.

Makes 15-18 cups.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ramblin' Mom asked for some crockpot recipes to get her through her busy season at work. Hope you won't find these unnecessarily "taxing".

2 medium onions, sliced thin
8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
3 lb. chicken, cut up or 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. canned plum tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 lb. spaghetti

Special equipment: 6-quart slow cooker

1. Place onions and mushrooms in the bottom of the crockpot.
   
2. Place the chicken pieces on top of the onions. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Crush the plum tomatoes in your hands and add them over the chicken. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, herbs and wine or stock.
4. Cover the pot and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
5. Just before the chicken is finished cooking, boil water for the pasta. Cook the pasta and drain.
6. Serve the chicken with its sauce over the pasta you have prepared.

Serves 4.