Crockpot Shredded Beef and Bacon Chili

Trim chuck roast of fat; cut it into stew-size chunks.

Chop bacon into 1-inch pieces; cook over medium heat until almost crispy, leave fat in pan, and add the bacon to your crockpot. Do not drain grease.

In the bacon fat, cook onions and peppers until browned and softened; remove from pan with slotted spoon and add them to the crockpot with the bacon. Leave bacon fat in pan.

With remaining bacon fat, add in the beef chunks. Cook until browned on the outside and cooked halfway through.

Into the crockpot, add in: beef with bacon drippings, canned tomatoes and sauce, 2 cups water, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir well. Don’t add the kidney beans yet.

Set slow-cooker to low (or medium) and cook for 8-10 hours or until beef shreds easily. Stir, then when beef is tender, gently shred beef with a large spoon or fork, break up all the larger pieces. Stir well. Add in kidney beans and stir them in at about 30-60 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-12 servings