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CrockPot Taco Chili Recipe

December 7, 2011 By 4 Comments

Yesterday we were all gloating… it was 75*.  We laughed in the face of Winter, happily sporting our flip flops and uploading images of the thermometers in our cars to InstaGram.  We rolled down our windows and walked our dogs in Tshirts, toting water bottles for when we “broke a sweat.”   We laughed on Facebook at how thankful we were to live in Florida, and how we would take our “White Christmas” laying out on the Worlds Whitest Beaches.

Apparently Winter didnt find the humor.

Today is a dreary, rainy, windy day… with a freeze warning in effect for tonight.  *sigh*  BUT it is a perfect night for Crock Pot Taco Chili….

Crock Pot Taco Chili

It is a well known fact that me in the kitchen most often results in either smoke or stitches, but this week I actually concocted something edible.

A few months ago we went to Wednesday Night Supper at church where they were serving “Taco Chili” – I nearly turned on my heels and left. I didn’t think that even SOUNDED appetizing. It isn’t that I don’t like tacos or chili… I just never would have put them together in one bowl. However, since my friends were there and the girls were “starving” we stayed. I have to admit – it was AWESOME. Like, I was considering getting seconds.

I mentioned it to my friend Jeannie and apparently she has been cooking it for years – I had never even HEARD of it until that night at Church… probably because it is not on any restaurant menu in Pensacola. Anyhow, she sent me the recipe but naturally I left it at home, so I called from the store parking lot and then tried to remember what she told me when I went inside. I know.

So my plan for shopping was anything Mexican-y or Chili-y was going in it! I just kept throwing stuff in the buggie and here is what I ended up with:

  • Ground Chuck
  • One yellow onion
  • 2 packages of Taco Seasoning
  • Large can of tomato Sauce
  • Original Rotel
  • One can Mexican Chili Beans
  • One can Black Beans
  • One can MexiCorn (didn’t know THIS existed either!)
  • Small can of niblet corn
  • One can dark red kidney beans
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Shredded cheese
  • Sour cream (optional- the girls liked it)

I did this in two pots but Jeannie says she does hers in one. Since I AM a pro with the Crock Pot, I decided that was probably my best strategy. SO -

I browned the meat and onion together in one pan, added a cup-ish (I mentioned I don’t measure stuff, right?) of water and one package of Taco Seasoning. In the Crock Pot I put everything else -including the second Taco Seasoning -and then mixed in the meat and onions. I left the Crock Pot on low for about 3 hours.

Then I lined the bowls with Tortilla Chips and spooned the Taco Chili right into the center. I topped mine with a little bit of cheese, and the girls liked cheese and sour cream on theirs.

I have to tell you – it was AWESOME. I was pretty proud of myself. (not that this took any real skill here, but let me have my moment, k?) It also isnt too bad fat/calorie wise either…

Note: It’s EVEN BETTER the next day… so all you “no-leftover” people… just send it all to me!


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Crabs In A … Crock Pot?! The Crock Pot Girls

September 6, 2011 By 22 Comments

A few weeks ago I was Blog Hopping and saw a link to the Crock Pot Girls Facebook page.  I immediately hit “Like” and was excited to see 30,000ish fans posting recipes and chatting away.  In the days after I noticed more and more of my Facebook friends had also “Liked” the Crock Pot Girls page, and I thought nothing of it.  In fact I kinda prided myself that I had “discovered something first.”

Today on Facebook I saw mention of the “Crock Pot Girls Drama” and how it may have been a “bot” that generated literally hundreds of thousands of fans for this page – putting it over Facebook pages such as Rachel Ray and Hungry Girl; two Nationally known websites.  Upon Googling, I found hundreds of sites – both in support and opposition – for Crock Pot Girls.  I also looked on their Facebook Page where I am a fan, but all looked fine – no sign of the “drama.”

So I started asking my friends… “do you remember ‘liking’ the Crock Pot Girls Facebook Page?”  EVERYONE said yes.  Everyone.

One friend said that someone was even talking about the Page at her child’s football practice – recommending it to the other moms.   Another said she “Liked” them just last week after hearing some other friends rave about them.

So why would people think that this is anything more than a fantastic idea that has brought remarkable results?

Many bloggers have dug into the fact that the domain CrockPotGirls.com is registered to a man who is a self proclaimed “SEO Expert” and affiliate marketer – insinuating that the three ladies paid for their fans, therefore making them less legit.  However one fan defended the Crock Pot Girls, claiming that the man is actually one of the girls’ brother in law.

There is also talk that it is a “virus” or “bot” that when one person “Likes” the page, that it automatically adds their friends list to the “Likers” number. Even weirder it has been speculated that the “bot” was creating false profiles as “Likers” since many of the profiles have little to no activity on their page.  Either of these of course are against Facebook’s Terms of Service agreement.

So is this a hoax or just another “Crabs In A Bucket” story where people are looking for a way to tear these ladies down, instead of supporting and celebrating their success?  Well, no one really knows…. yet.  As several have said about the Blogosphere “the truth always comes out eventually” and it will eventually be known just exactly how three moms in Texas have had a record breaking few weeks on Facebook.

I hope - for their sake – that the bad things that ARE being said are wrong, and that really and truly, 1 million + other people just like my friends and I saw the page, and hit “Like” – not that a computer did it.   I think the story of three stay at home moms to become such a huge internet sensation that quickly – and it be legit – would be fantastic!  And if nothing else, all of this Crock Pot talk has gotten me to dust of my beloved slow cooker to try some of the hundreds of new recipes that the “legit” Likers have shared.

So what do you think?  Hoax?  Legit?  Crabs in a Bucket?  And were you a “legitimate Liker” to their page?