In December, my awesome hubby got me a Power Cooker, an electric pressure cooker, for Christmas and it is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets hands down. I can take a pound of dried beans and cook them in less than an hour. Its like a crock pot only faster. I love it. It’s amazing and has really broadened the nightly dinner options on the days when I don’t start dinner until after my kids get home from school.
I’ve been making this chili for years and it’s a household favorite. I’ve made it in a pot on the stove then in a crockpot, which was a little faster and a lot less hands on. And now I make it in a pressure cooker, which is a lot faster because I don’t have to precook the beans.
I love this chili. It’s just so adaptable. Sometimes I make it with ground beef, sometimes with ground turkey and sometimes meatless. Sometimes I add more or less veggies depending on what I have. The one thing that remains the same is it’s always good.
So it’s 3:15 and I’m starting dinner. We like baked potatoes with our chili so I’m starting with the potatoes. 10 minutes later, taters in the oven, its time to start on the chili.
I start by browning the meat. You can brown it in the power cooker on the brown setting, but I find it easier to brown in a pan and drain than to try to pick up the power cooker insert without getting burnt while draining it. While the meat cooks I like to mix the spices and chop the veggies. I make 2 batches of spices, add one to the meat and reserve one for the chili itself.
I put a little olive oil in the bottom of the power cooker, turn it on brown and add the bell peppers. I cut the onion after the bell peppers start cooking because I know onions tend to suck the germs out of the air and I like to put them in the pan as soon as they are cut. I add the onions and cook until they become transparent. Then I add the garlic and cook another minute.
I add the beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and water, stir well.
I press cancel to remove the pressure cooker from brown mode, change pressure to 80 (the highest mine goes), adjust cook time to 60 minutes and let it go. When it beeps that it’s done, I let the pressure release naturally and I open it up when it opens easily. Then we garnish with cheese and tobasco sauce as desired, eat and repeat 🙂
Ingredients:
- 1 lb meat (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 oz tomato paste (1 can)
- 56 oz diced tomatoes (2 large cans)
- Spices
- 3 cups dry pinto beans
- 4 cups water
Spice batch (make 2 batches):
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne, salt, crushed red pepper, and Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin
Directions:
- Brown beef and drain.
- Mix 2 spice batches. Add 1 to the meat, reserve the other.
- Turn power cooker to brown mode, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.
- Chop bell pepper and add to power cooker.
- Chop onion and add to power cooker. Cook until transparent.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add meat, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, the reserved spice batch and water.
- Press cancel to remove power cooker from brown mode.
- Press pressure adjust until it reaches 80.
- Press cook time until it reaches 60. When it beeps, allow pressure to release naturally, open when lid opens easily.
- Garnish as desired, eat and repeat 🙂
Made from Scratch 