SLOW-COOKER BEEF AND TWO-BEAN CHILI

Slow-Cooker Beef and Two-Bean Chili image

Yield 6-8 people

Number Of Ingredients 25

Cumin-Cilantro Sour Cream:
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
For the chili:
2 pounds 93% lean ground beef
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
Toppings:
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped red onion
Crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Steps:

For the Cumin-Cilantro Sour Cream:
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, and cumin. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the chili:
Set a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break the meat into pieces as it browns, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain all the liquid from the pan. Add the tomato paste, onion, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add 1 cup water, the black beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and bay leaves.
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Discard the bay leaves. To serve, ladle the chili into 8 serving bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream mixture, 1 tablespoon of the cheddar, the red onion, and tortilla chips, if desired.