Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili

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I love, love, love my Crock Pot. I mean, how cool is it that you can throw a bunch of stuff in there in the morning, turn it on low, and come home to a delicious home-cooked dinner, all ready for you to dig in?

By the way, have you seen this three-pot Crock Pot? Talk about some serious Crock Potting! That's just over-the-top crazy. Who needs THREE at a time?! (Okay, I kind of want one.)

Anyway, now that I'm embracing fall (really, I love fall, but summer was so wonderful it was hard to let go), I've pulled out the Crock Pot and am ready to put it to work.

A couple days ago, we feasted on inaugural bowls of Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili. Mmmm.

 
It's got a couple of untraditional ingredients, I know – but I think they add some really nice complexity. And if you're putting this together in the morning, it's totally convenient to just sacrifice a little of the morning coffee you've already brewed up.

Here's the recipe:

Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili

Serves 4 – 6

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained (just get as much of the liquid out as possible)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce (if you care, there are vegetarian versions)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
If you have it, Dave's Insanity Sauce. A TINY amount. TINY. Like, pour a little out of the bottle so a little just touches the end of a spoon, and stir that in.
Salt and black pepper to taste

Throw it all in to the Crock Pot, except for the salt and pepper. Stir. Cook on low for 8 hours or so. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with goodies like chopped onion, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

(Oh, dear Crock Pot. I've missed you.)