Instructions

1. Chop whatever aromatic vegetables you're using. Some common additions include onion, garlic and red or green bell peppers. Other optional ideas include mushrooms, carrots and fresh jalapeno or poblano chiles.

2. Grab a large pan and heat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of cooking oil and heat it until it shimmers.

3. Place meat in the pan to brown it on all sides. Commonly used meats include diced chicken, ground beef or turkey and chunks of steak. Although you could skip this step and just add raw meat to the slow cooker, sauteing it first adds depths of flavor that are hard to achieve otherwise.

4. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker once it is golden. Return the pan to the stove.

5. Reheat it with a little more oil and drop your chopped vegetables in the pan. Saute the veggies for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are softened and lightly browned.

6. Drain and rinse canned beans while the veggies are cooking. If you’re making a meat-only chili, skip the beans. Otherwise, feel free to use whatever beans you prefer. Some commonly used types include kidney beans, navy beans, Great Northern beans and black beans.

7. Add the rinsed and drained beans and the sauteed vegetables to the slow cooker.

8. Pour your choice of cooking liquid into the slow cooker. If you're making a tomato-based chili, use tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and/or diced tomatoes. Other optional liquids include broth or stock, water, wine or beer.

9. Sprinkle seasonings over the mixture and stir all of the ingredients to combine them. While it may be easiest to just dump in a pre-made chili seasoning packet, you have more control over the flavors by skipping the packet and using your own spices. In addition to salt and pepper, some traditional seasonings include cumin, coriander and chili powder. Other possibilities include ground cloves, star anise, cinnamon and oregano.

10. Cover the slow cooker and cook your chili using the low heat setting for approximately 6 hours or setting it to high for 4 hours. When it's ready, the beans should be tender and the sauce should be slightly thickened.

11. Serve your slow-cooked chili on its own or with your favorite toppings, such as fresh onions or scallions, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.