Best Texas Chili

This is a hands-off, crowd-feeding chili, the kind you start in the morning and come home to a thick, simmered pot.

There’s just one stovetop step: a quick saute of onion, celery, and garlic to soften them and coax out their sweetness. After that, everything goes into the slow cooker, browned beef, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, a mountain of pinto and other beans, bay leaves, and plenty of chili powder.

Four hours on low is all it takes for the flavors to meld and the chili to thicken into hearty, spoon-coating comfort.

It makes a big batch, so it’s built for game day, potlucks, or stocking the freezer.

A handful of shredded cheddar melting on top is the classic finish, though it welcomes all the usual fixings: sour cream, onions, jalapenos, and cornbread on the side.

Chef Tips

• Brown the beef before it goes in the slow cooker for deeper, richer flavor than raw-added meat.
• Don’t skip sauteing the aromatics; it builds a flavor base the slow cooker alone can’t.
• Fish out the bay leaves before serving, and taste for chili powder and salt at the end.

Variations

• Use ground beef or cubed chuck depending on the texture you want.
• Stir in a chopped chipotle or extra chili powder for more heat.
• Add a square of dark chocolate or a spoonful of cocoa for deeper, mole-like flavor.