Bacon Chili without Beans

I am not a fan of kidney beans, but I love chili and bacon. I tried switching out the beans with the bacon using my mom's chili recipe, and it was an instant hit with the family. After a couple years of tweaking the recipe to get it just right and taking it to chili cook-offs, here's what I came up with. Serve with your favorite chili mix-ins such as Cheddar cheese, Fritos®, etc. Hope you enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 7 hr
• Total Time: 7 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 332 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) package thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes, drained
• ¾ cup beef stock
• ¼ cup hot sauce (such as Frank's® RedHot®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Transfer beef to a slow cooker.

Step 2

Brown bacon in the same skillet, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Transfer bacon to the slow cooker and stir with beef.

Step 3

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, onions, bell pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic to the slow cooker; stir together with beef and bacon. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, cumin, basil, paprika, and black pepper; stir again to make sure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Step 4

Cook on Low for 5 hours. Stir and continue to cook for 2 to 3 more hours.