Any has-bean can whip up this one!

My Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook is one of my favorites. I use it all the time and even try out new recipes regularly. I have had a hard time finding a chili recipe that I really like, but this might be the one! It is a Smoky Sausage and Bean Chili—yum! I did my best to keep to the correct ingredients, but I ended up making a few minimal adjustments. My favorite thing about slow cooker food has to be that it is super easy, and this fits that bill!

Smoky Sausage and Bean Chili

2 onions, miced
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/4 c chili powder
3 tbs vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs dried oregano
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 c water
1 lb dried navy beans (2 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed
1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced 1/2" thick
8 oz andouille sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

Microwave onions, bell pepper, chili powder, oil, garlic, cumin, and oregano in bowl, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened (about 5 minutes). Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir broth, water, beans, kielbasa, andouille, soy sauce, sugar, chipotles, liquid smoke, and bay leaves into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Let chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface. Discard bay leaves. Transfer 1 cup cooked beans to bowl and mash with a potato masher. Stir mashed beans into chili and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

There ended up being two things I did differently. First, the amount of kielbasa and andouille was a little off. The kielbasa I got was about 12oz, so I just put in a little extra andouille. This definitely did make it pretty hot! Andouille is spicy as is, so if you like it like that, try doing it that way too. The other adjustment was with the liquid smoke. I really didn't feel like buying it, and I actually have a smoked chili powder. So I used that chili powder in lieu of having liquid smoke. The whole thing turned out great! Since it makes so much I put some in my freezer to enjoy for later. One of my other favorite things to make with chili is chilimac! Make a cheap batch of mac and cheese, put in a cup of chili and you've got yourself a tasty meal.