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Hearty Slow Cooker Football Chili with Easy Cornbread Croutons

hearty slow cooker football chili - featured image
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A thick, meaty, and slightly spicy slow cooker chili with smoky chipotle peppers and crunchy cornbread croutons. Perfect for game days, potlucks, or cozy weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth (low-sodium)
  • 1/2 cup dark beer (stout or amber ale)
  • 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups crumbled cornbread (day-old or slightly stale)
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (for serving)
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt (for serving)
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped (for serving)
  • Diced red onion or scallions (for serving)
  • Lime wedges (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Transfer beef to a 6-quart slow cooker using a slotted spoon.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: In the same skillet, add the diced onion and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, scraping up browned bits. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker.
  3. Build the flavor base: To the slow cooker, add diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, drained beans, beef broth, beer, minced chipotle peppers, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Nestle the bay leaf into the mixture.
  4. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally if possible.
  5. Make the cornbread croutons: About 30 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, melted butter, garlic powder, and salt. Toss gently. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crispy. Let cool on the sheet.
  6. Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle chili into bowls, top with cornbread croutons and desired toppings. Serve hot.

Notes

For a thicker chili, mash some beans against the side of the slow cooker. For a thinner chili, stir in extra broth. The chili tastes even better the next day. Cornbread croutons are best fresh; store separately.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, football chili, cornbread croutons, game day chili, hearty chili, chipotle chili

Find it online: https://junomeals.com/hearty-slow-cooker-football-chili-with-easy-cornbread-croutons/