Slow Cooker Chili with Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins

This chili is filling, flavorful, and fast to prepare! You can do the prep work the night beforehand by chopping the veggies and browning the meat if you’re going to be really short on time in the morning. On this particular day, I went with a gluten-free boxed cornbread mix that I always make sure to have on-hand because I needed to throw it all together as quickly as possible. If you have the time, the homemade Honey Cornbread Recipe I’ve attached is awesome with this chili! I was also out of fresh, flat-leaf Italian Parsley. It seemed to be out of stock at every nearby store this week, but dried Parsley works just fine! Use about one tablespoon.

If you prefer a meatier chili, 2 pounds of ground turkey, beef, or a combo of both works well! When I add extra meat, I only do two cans of beans because there isn’t much room left otherwise! I like how the chili turns out with the three different beans, but you can also change up the type you’re using. It’s always nice to clear out the pantry and use whatever you have, so don’t worry if you throw in a different combination-it will still taste great!

Extra toppings and cornbread muffins make this hearty chili even better, and with about 8 servings it’s perfect for a big family or get-together!

Chili:

1-1.5 lbs ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian Parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried Parsley)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28oz can tomato purée or crushed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can Great Northern beans
1 can black beans, drained
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tap black pepper
1-2 Tbsp Frank’s Hot Sauce (optional)

Cook the beef until browned, pour into crockpot.
Chop veggies, add to the beef.

Add beans, seasoning, and tomatoes.
Stir, cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with:
Cornbread Muffins
Sour cream
Chopped avocado
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Parsley
Green Onions

Gluten-Free Honey Cornbread Muffins:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour (or regular flour!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl.
Add milk, eggs, butter, and honey.
Mix just until combined.
Divide into muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake 15-17 minutes, until golden and toothpick comes out clean.