As far as I'm concerned, this is the perfect basic chili recipe. I made it with a few minor variations and I was very pleased with the results. I cooked it on the stovetop because I was getting a late start on dinner last night. At first I thought it didn't have enough juice, but after I cooked it on low (with the lid on) for about an hour it was perfect. Aside from cutting up the onions (always a pain), it was super easy to make. I used Rotel tomatoes because that was what I had in the pantry. That worked OK, but I think it would have been just as great without the added kick. I served it with Fritos, cheese and sour cream, and I can't wait to have it again for lunch. This will definitely be my standard chili recipe. I've already added it to my recipe box.

First, I have to admit that I changed somethings about this recipe. Not the least of which was the ground beef. We do not eat red meat, so I made this with ground turkey. When I browned the turkey, I added cumin and garlic salt - as some had suggested the flavor was bland. I did not have any greeen peppers, but I did have the diced tomatoes & green pepper canned so I used that. I also used a chili ready tomato sauce which had added seasonings. To give it a flavor boost, I added about a half teaspoon of crushed red pepper. The end result was pretty good. However, it seemed a little bit dry. The recipe called for one 8 oz can of tomato sauce and I used about 2/3 of a 15oz can. Next time I will use the whole can. One other somewhat important aspect was that the mixture filled my crockpot to the top and I had a tough time blending it all in because it was so full. It would probably be easier to mix it in something first and then add to the crock pot. Just a thought.

I made only a few minor modifcations to this recipe. I added corn and green chilis. For the tomato sauce, I used a spicy basil marinara. The chili was fantastic...very easy recipe. The house smelled terrific. Great with some green chili cheese cornbread.

Outstanding. Very flavorful. I added a tablespoon of cumin to the recipe, but I don't think it really needs anything else. Yum.

I made this chili last night and my family loved it! i agree that it isn't very spicy but we don't care for overly spicy foods. I did add 3 8oz cans of tomatoe sauce instead of 1 because it did seem a little dry.i will definately make this again

This is a great basic chili recipe! I made some adjustments based on our own tastes and I have made this chili 6 times with the following: 2 pkgs (lb each of Laura’s Lean Beef Brand-Ground Sirloin)-great brand to use since they don’t give their cattle added growth hormones, etc. I use this brand a lot for ground turkey breast, etc. 3 cans of Bush’s Dark Red Kidney Beans instead of 2 cans, this made it very hearty 1 -14.5 oz can of Del Monte Diced Tomatoes (Zesty Chili Style) 1-14.5 oz. can of Del Monte Diced Tomatoes-(regular) 1- 8 oz. can of Del Monte tomato sauce We are really not into having too many onions in anything so I used a chopper to chop only 1 medium onion and then used 3 fresh cloves of minced garlic to brown the meat with. While browning the meat I then sprinkled some black pepper, crushed red pepper and a little garlic salt. We like garlic so I added about 2 more cloves minced into the pot after transferring the browned meat. I then followed the directions of this recipe with the chopped green pepper,chili powder, salt, etc. I have made this chili in my slow cooker (for 4 hours on high) and also on the stove top (1 ½ hours on low) with the same results. Fantastic! I served it with some shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of each bowl. I think everyone will adjust making this to their own likes/dislikes. I also have young nieces and nephews so sometimes I can’t put the crushed red pepper or make stuff too spicy. Thanks for this easy and great recipe!

Excellent recipe! I did add corn. Served it as a salad with nacho chips, guacamole and sour cream.

First time using slow cooker & making chili... very easy. Added cumin, red pepper flakes and a little more salt & pepper because it seemed to lack some zip. Once spices were added it was great! My boyfriend and his coworkers loved it!

**I have to make a correction to this review I posted a while ago: I used BRANDT GROUND BEEF, not Angus beef. It's 100% natural and I found it at my local Thriftway grocery store. It's really tender and flavorfull.*** This chili is really good! I set my Crock Pot on high for 4 hours and after a looksee at 3 hours, I was skeptical. The "sauce" part of the chili looked thin and watery. I had cut the recipe in half but used 8 oz of tomato sauce. At this point I added about 1/4 cup of Ragu sauce just to thicken it a bit. One hour later, it turned out great. It wasn't dry as other reviewers claimed. I also used Angus ground beef and I feel it made a huge difference. The meat is more tender and flavorful then "regular" ground beef.

Tasty! I used almost three pounds of ground beef, no green pepper (didn't have one)and no canned diced tomato (we don't care for tomato chunks in chili). And it still turned out good! I didn't have any tomato sauce either so I used two 6 oz cans of tomato paste mixed with two cans of water and that did the trick! And I only used half of a large onion instead of two medium onions. There were no leftovers, which leaves me singing the praises of this dish! :)