Ingredients Makes 6 servings
| 2 cups | cooked kidney beans (see Tips) | 500 mL |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil | 15 mL |
| 1 lb | lean ground beef | 500 g |
| 2 | onions, finely chopped | 2 |
| 4 | cloves garlic, minced | 4 |
| 1 | piece (2 inches/5 cm) cinnamon stick | 1 |
| 1 tbsp | ground cumin | 15 mL |
| 2 tsp | dried oregano | 10 mL |
| 1 tsp | sea salt (see Tips) | 5 mL |
| 1⁄2 tsp | cracked black peppercorns | 2 mL |
| 1 | can (28 oz/796 mL) no-salt added diced tomatoes including juice | 1 |
| 3 cups | cubed (1 inch/2.5 cm) butternut squash | 750 mL |
| 2 | dried New Mexico, ancho or guajillo chiles | 2 |
| 2 cups | boiling water | 500 mL |
| 1⁄2 cup | coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves | 125 mL |
Instructions
Prep
- Medium to large (31⁄2 to 5 quart) slow cooker
- Blender
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and onions and cook, stirring and breaking meat up with a spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon stick, cumin, oregano, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil.
- Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add squash and beans and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until squash is tender.
- About an hour before recipe has finished cooking, in a heatproof bowl, soak dried chiles in boiling water for 30 minutes, weighing down chiles with a cup to ensure they remain submerged. Drain, reserving 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) of the soaking liquid. Discard stems and coarsely chop chiles. Transfer to a blender and add cilantro and reserved soaking liquid. Purée.
- Add chile mixture to stoneware and stir well. Cover and cook on High for 30 minutes, until mixture is hot and bubbly and flavors meld. Discard cinnamon stick.
Use 1 cup (250 mL) dried kidney beans, soaked, cooked and drained or 1 can no‑salt added (14 to 19 oz/ 398 to 540 mL) canned beans, drained and rinsed.
If you prefer, soak and purée the chiles while the chili cooks; refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
Most of the sodium in a serving of this recipe comes from the added salt (382 mg). If you are watching your sodium intake, omit the salt or reduce the quantity.
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