Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili on a College Budget

I'm trying something new on the blog today by introducing a new section: recipes! I've been cooking/baking a lot the last few years, but I never really had a recipe of my own to share, so I never talked about it, but it all changes today with this simple chili recipe. This is the first time I've ever really altered different recipes to get something similar, but different, so bear with me as I get the hang of it. 

This recipe is so simple, and it only takes around five minutes of prep time- perfect for those busy mornings. When I last prepped it, it took about as long for me to put it all together as it did to brew and get my coffee ready. I use a slow cooker for this recipe, which helps make it a no-fuss meal, but it can easily be made in a large pot on the stove top.

Ingredients: 

• One medium yellow onion
• One can diced tomatoes (even better if it already comes with chili seasoning)
• Two cans chili beans
• One can black beans
• One can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• One can red kidney beans
• McCormick chili seasoning packet

Making the Chili:

Step 1: Chop the onion (I chopped mine up the night before to save time in the morning) and add it to the slow cooker with all of the cans of beans and the tomatoes.

Step 2: Add about half of the McCormick chili seasoning packet and stir.

Step 3*: Turn slow cooker to high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

Step 4: Serve with toppings of your choice (I usually lean towards hot sauce, a bit of sour cream, and plenty of cheese).

*If using stove top, cook onions first on medium heat in a bit of olive oil, then when they're clear, add beans and simmer for about 30-60 minutes.

This recipe is great for college students, not only because it doesn't take too much effort, but it's also cheap! The beans, tomatoes, and the onion, are all less than one dollar each.

Give the chili a quick stir before letting it cook for the day.

I set mine on low since I would be gone the whole day and back around eight hours later, ready to eat some simple chili.

The finished masterpiece.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and let me know if you try out this recipe!

~Maddison