1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 poblano or bell pepper , diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. of garlic powder)
1 can (15 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 can (15 oz.) refried beans
1 tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chile powder (e.g. jalapeno or new mexico)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper

  • brown beef, with onion and peppers and add to crockpot.
  • add remaining ingredients to crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

stovetop version:

  • brown beef, with onion and peppers, then add remaining ingredients
  • add 1 cup of water and reduce heat to a simmer, loosely covered (may need to use a smaller burner to get to a low simmer)
  • simmer for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally

2014-09-25 15:53:15: Alternate:
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
1 can kidney beans (15 oz.)
1 can refried beans (15 oz.), with liquid
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 head kale, chopped

  • Put everything in crockpot and stir.
  • Cook on high for 90 minutes.
  • Stir and reduce heat to low.

1,360 Cal (4x 340)

2020-06-17 17:20:36: Updated the recipe to reflect what I’m typically doing these days:

  • Refried beans instead of pinto beans
  • Poblano peppers instead of bell peppers
  • No tomato puree
  • Left optional brown sugar and harissa, though I typically don’t do these based on feedback.

2023-11-06: updated recipe again because i’m using chile powder (i.e. powdered chiles) instead of chili powder (i.e. spice blend) and chile powder is a lot hotter.