Red Wine Chili

• Yields:4 servings
1 lb ground beef
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced*
1 small bell peppers (colors of choice), diced*
1 or more large cloves garlic, minced
2 15 oz. cans dark red kidney beans or Great Northern beans
2 Tablespoons canned tomato paste
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 1 ½ cups water and 1 ounce dried tomatoes from your garden, ripped apart)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
½ or more teaspoon chipotle powder (to taste)
¼ cup red wine – or turn the wine into water 😉
¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese (optional) and/or sour cream (optional)
Directions
1 Brown the ground beef over medium heat in a large pan or the bowl of a slow cooker with a sauté function.
2 Add the olive oil, onions, peppers and garlic to the browned beef, sauté until the onions become translucent.
3 Add all of the remaining ingredients (except garnishes) and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat/cook on the slow cooker’s low function for 4 hours or simmer in the large stove top pan — stirring occasionally.
4 Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.