Crockpot Chili

1 – 1¼ pounds ground beef
2 15½-oz cans red beans, drained
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 16-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 c. chopped onion*
1 c. chopped green pepper*
1 c. chopped celery*
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder

*or one 12 oz. bag frozen Kroger Recipe Beginnings "Mirepoix Cajun Style Blend" for these three ingredients

In skillet cook ground beef until browned; drain off excess fat. (I often will cook ground beef in a covered dish in the microwave-this works well if meat is still frozen.) Transfer meat to crock pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 8 – 10 hours. Serves 10 – 12.

I started collecting cookbooks when I joined the "Better Homes and Gardens" Cookbook Club when I was in high school. The basis for this recipe came from the "Better Homes and Gardens Crockery Cooker Cook Book." Over the years I tweaked it a bit, so I guess you could call it my own recipe now. I figure it is pretty much a complete meal with so many vegetable in it, but good accompaniments are crackers, cole slaw, or what my mom served with chili: lemon carrot jello (lemon jello with grated carrot in it). Our son, Richard, has turned to the Hoosier way and likes spaghetti in it, so I'll cook him up some pasta, but don't mix it in my batch.

Since at one time I was on Weight Watchers, I figured up that 1 cup of this has 3 points.

This year, we actually celebrated Christmas with our kids on December 22, since Elizabeth and Toby were going to his sister's to be with his family on the 25th. So Gary, Richard, and I planned to go to a matinee movie today and I thought chili would make great meal for this evening. We ended up having two of our friends, Pam and Christine join us for the movie and I invited them over for chili. Pam brought some shrimp with her and we all feasted on chili and shrimp cocktail. It was so delicious, I have now declared that chili and shrimp cocktail is the official Law Christmas night meal! So Merry Christmas to all!