Real Simple's Slow Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili

I'm in chili testing mode.  (The Eagles' football season is upon us and my turkey chili is always much in demand for tailgates.)

Real Simple is one of my go-to magazines for recipes.  It's neat because it provides time-saving shortcuts.  The recipe normally tells you to double up the ingredients and then spins you five other uses for the leftovers: That's my kind of pragmatic cooking.

This slow cooked chili is a great recipe. 

It's different from your run-of-the-mill chili.  The zucchinis make all the difference -- adding a bit of crunch to the texture of this chili.  I also used ground turkey rather than beef, which makes it even healthier.

Real Simple's Slow Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  ground beef
• 1  28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2  15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 3  medium zucchini (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2  medium onions, chopped
• 1/4  cup  tomato paste
• 2  cloves garlic, chopped
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• kosher salt and black pepper
• sour cream, cut-up avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving.

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beef, tomatoes, beans, zucchini, onions, tomato paste, garlic, chili powder, oregano, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
2. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked through, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
3. Reserve half the chili for tomorrow. Serve the remaining chili with the sour cream, avocado, and cilantro.
4. Reheat and serve: Reheat the chili in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Better still, see their suggestions for what to do with any you have left 4 Ways to Transform Your Leftovers.

Inspired by this feature, we:

• stuffed the chili in tortillas, 
• chopped up fresh tomatoes, garlic and cilantro, 
• threw this on the top of the stuffed tortillas together with a very generous sprinkling of Mexican cheeses and 
• added a healthy dash of Beck's Devil Dust powder, and voila, another tasty meal for the freezer.