Award Winning Crockpot Chili

Steps

1. Prep the vegetables: Chop one red pepper, one green pepper, three stalks of celery, and one small yellow onion. Roughly chop the red and green peppers and the celery. Remove seeds from the jalapeno and dice half (or use whole for extra spice). Peel and dice the small yellow onion.
2. Cook the bacon: Fry five pieces of smoked thick cut bacon in a large cast iron skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Sauté vegetables: Add the chopped veggies to the pan with the rendered bacon fat and sauté for about five minutes over medium heat until tender. Remove them from the pan, draining off as much of the grease as possible.
4. Brown the ground beef: Cook the ground beef in two batches (about one pound each) in the same skillet using the remaining bacon grease. Break the meat into nice sized chunks (1-2 inches thick). Once a batch is done, remove it from the pan and repeat with the second pound.
5. Prepare the spice mixture: In a separate bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of oregano blend, 1 tablespoon of white sugar, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt, 3 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of basil, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
6. Assemble the crockpot: Pour 1 1/2 ounce can of beef consommé and 1 6 ounce can of tomato paste into the slow cooker. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and the spice mixture, stirring thoroughly to incorporate.
7. Add remaining ingredients: Add two cans of diced tomatoes with juice, one can of chili beans (drained), and one can of kidney beans (drained) to the crockpot.
8. Combine all components: Stir in the cooked bacon pieces, the ground beef, and the sautéed vegetables into the slow cooker. Stir everything together to mix.
9. Cook the chili: Cover and cook on low for about six hours.