Three-Bean Chili

Well, chili is not exactly the perfect summer dinner...but I made a ton of it in the early spring and figured I'd use up what we had in the freezer/pantry this week...Adam came home from the gym and was excited about how good it smelled in the house - and I can tell you that it tasted just as good as it did when I made it fresh! The best part is it's made in the crock-pot and you don't have to turn on the oven OR worry about it! Enjoy.

(I am in the process of uploading all the pictures from our fun Chicago wedding weekend - I will post them soon!)

Three-Bean Chili
1/2 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained - cut up
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
1 (1 1/4 oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz.) can great northern beans, drained
1 (15.5 0z.) can butter beans, *undrained
shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

1. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef with onions and bell peppers until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain.
2. In 3 1/2 - 4 qt. slow cooker, combine cooked ground beef mixture, tomatoes, tomato sauce, soup, and taco seasoning mix; mix well.
3. Cover; cook on high setting for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in beans - Reduce heat to low setting. Cover and cook an additional 4-5 hours or until thoroughly heated.
5. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese (this will thicken) and garnish with a few tortilla chips. Great with grilled corn on the cob, too! Freezes well.
*for thicker chili, drain butter beans

Recipe courtesy Pillsbury (with a few changes by Kristin)