Freezer Friendly: Homemade Crockpot Chili

Hi there :) Missed you guys! But, do tell.  How much are you loving the easy and delicious recipes from Team ACT?  I tell you what... I am SO glad she is a part of my team! In honor of Fall being Just . Around. The. Corner - let's get some chili cooking!  Set it - forget it - and enjoy it after a long day. I've tried many crockpot recipes for chili.  Some have been better than others, but this one has been my favorite so far.  And it makes a LOT.   I had plenty to serve for dinner to 4 adults and have enough to freeze for later.  We LOVE LOVE LOVED it served over baked potatoes with some cheese sprinkled on top.  This recipe was also the first in which I made my own homemade chili seasoning.  The recipe I found and used was delicious and had a little kick.  The best part about making your own is being able to control the amount and type of ingredients - I used less salt and more hot peppers for the kick.  YUM. Crockpot Chili - from this website I LOVE for freezer & make ahead foods Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used a 1 lb package of ground turkey) 1 1/4 cups diced onion (I used one medium onion, diced) 1 package Chili Seasoning Packet (I used this recipe to make my own - I halved it) 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained  1 can diced tomatoes 1 cup water Directions:  1) Gather ingredients, dice onion & prepare chili seasoning. 2) Here you can see I used a small mortar and pestle to mix then combine all of the spices together.          2 tablespoons of chili powder                   1/2 teaspoon garlic powder          1/2 teaspoon onion powder          1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes          1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper          1/2 teaspoon dried oregano          1 teaspoons paprika          1 tablespoons ground cumin          1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (I used less)          2 teaspoons black pepper I halved this recipe - it had a good kick to it, but not too overbearing that my mom who doesn't like spicy things wouldn't eat it.  I didn't have onion powder so I used a few shakes of dehydrated minced onion.  I also cut down the salt to taste.  3) Brown meat and onion in a large pan until fully cooked.    4) Add to slow cooker with the 2 cans of beans and can of diced tomatoes, water, and chili seasoning "packet".  Stir well.    5) Cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or low 4 - 6 hours.  Serve anyway you like to eat your chili!  Hearty, warm & delicious! Freezer directions:  - You can freeze BEFORE cooking in the crockpot.  Prepare meat and onions, cool. Combine with all the other ingredients in a freezer safe gallon bag.  Thaw the night before in the fridge.  Prepare as directed above. - You can freeze AFTER cooking in the crockpot.  Prepare as above.  Cool completely. Portion into 1 or 2 person servings into individual freezer safe containers.  Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop to serve.  Perfect for lunch on the go. The Verdict We LOVED this recipe.  I thought it was a good, authentic chili recipe.  I've tried to make several in the past and they just didn't have the right seasoning.  This was really good with the addition of the homemade seasoning packet.  It was really easy to make, I could control what I put in there (ex: salt, heat, etc), and I had most of the spices on hand already. You could easily make this a vegetarian chili by adding an additional 2 cans of beans of your choice - maybe even some corn and/or green chilies!  And like I said earlier, we LOVED this served over a baked potato (it would be equally delicious over a sweet potato too!)  We added a little cheese and sour cream on the top.  Serve along with a side salad and this would make the perfect, easy weeknight meal.  I did cook it in my 3-qt crockpot, so I suggest doubling the recipe and preparing in a 6-qt crockpot if you wanted to make this for a huge party... like the Super Bowl! SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd... BRING on FALL!  We're ready!