Slow Cooker Classic Chilli

The slow cooker is probably my favourite piece of kitchen equipment - allowing ingredients to simmer away for hours on end without having to worry about burning or catching makes my life that bit easier. As well as this, it allows every single ingredient within a recipe to mingle and get to know each other, leaving you with a beautifully tied together dish that is perfectly balanced in terms of flavour and texture. The longer you cook it the better - that's my motto. Get your dinner on in the morning and you don't have to think about what to make when you come back in from work or wherever you've been all day. Great for this time of year - here is a recipe for  classic chilli to cook in this wonderful machine.

Probably one of my favourite winter warmers - the spices throughout this dish are so gently simmered in the slow cooker that they mellow slightly, leaving you with a good spice but also a delicious smokiness. Here's what I put in it:

• 500g minced Scottish beef
• 1 x medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 x garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 x chilli, sliced and deseeded
• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
• 8 x fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 x red pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 x beef stock cube
• 1 x teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 x teaspoon of ground coriander
• 2 x teaspoons of paprika
• 1 x teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1/2 x teaspoon of chilli flakes
• 1 x tablespoon of tomato purée 
• 1 x tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 x tablespoon of sour cream

Method

1. This is pretty simple. Before you start cooking, maker sure you have your slow cooker pre-heating - plug in, set to low and allow to heat up for a good 15 minutes before putting anything in it. Get a large pan on a medium heat with the olive oil and get your onions, garlic and chilli on the go. Try to avoid getting too much colour on those onions - we want them soft so they suck in flavour and juices, rather than caramelised and sealed. 
2. Once your onions are soft, crank up the heat and add the mince - it should sizzle and catch on the pan, picking up flavour rather than boiling. Stir well, making sure to break up any clumps and allowing the meat to cook through. Add all your spices, fresh tomatoes and pepper and cook for a further minute, stirring as you go. Once its all mixed thoroughly and smelling amazing, it's ready for the slow cooker. 
3. Add your spiced mince and onions to the slow cooker, pour the tinned tomatoes and crumble the stock cube on top of the meat. Add the tomato purée and stir thoroughly. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, allowing everything to cook gently. 
4. Once ready, serve with a dollop of sour cream and some roughly chopped jalapeños with your choice of side - I tend to enjoy it just on its own!  

I tend to go without the usual kidney beans because I'm not a big fan of them - simple as that. Through the slow cooking, you'll find that the dish has a fantastic depth to it - the meat is full of flavour and beautifully tender along with the red pepper. The sour cream on top adds a cooling aspect to the dish which pairs excellently with the acidic tomato sauce. If you try this, you'll be a huge fan of slow cooking in no time, and I'll certainly have more slow cooked recipes up soon.

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