ABRAMS Dinner Party 2022-23 Kickoff...Featuring Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili from 2022 Christmas with Southern Living #abramsdinnerparty #2022ChristmaswithSouthernLiving #chili #slowcooker #feedacrowd #gamedayfood

As a native Texan, Southern Living magazine has been one of my go-to cooking, entertaining, and decorating resources for as long as I can remember. I especially love their annual Christmas book -- packed with gorgeous holiday decorating ideas and delicious recipes! I recently received the 2022 Christmas with Southern Living holiday book as part of the 2022-23 ABRAMS Dinner Party blogging group -- my third year participating in this tasty group! Today, I'm sharing a versatile chili recipe from the book. Southern Living's Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili is made with chunks of tender beef, plenty of healthy veggies, and a mixture of spices and seasonings. This recipe is ideal for holiday get togethers and potlucks...or for game day food for MLB playoff and weekend football games.

I made a few small tweaks to make this chili meet my new healthy living goals. I also used chuck stew meat instead of brisket -- because it's nearly impossible to find a brisket smaller than 10 lbs here in Texas (lol). I used almond flour in place of regular flower to coat the beef before browning, and I used much less oil to brown the beef before adding to the slow cooker. Otherwise? I followed the recipe exactly. No worries! I'll show how to make both versions in the recipe below.

Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili

from 2022 Christmas with Southern Living

Ingredients (makes 4 entrèe servings OR 8 appetizer servings):

• 3 TBS (about 1 oz) all-purpose flour (or almond flour)
• 2 TBS anch0 chili powder
• 1 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2.5 pounds beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (or use pre-cut chuck stew meat)
• 4 TBS olive oil, divided (NOTE: I used 2 tsp olive oil)
• 14.5-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 4.5-oz can chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red onion chopped -- about 1 cup
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced -- about 1 TBS
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice -- approx. 1 lime

For the Cilantro-Lime Crema:

• 1/2 cup sour cream (or light sour cream)
• 2 TBS mayonnaise (or light mayonnaise)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice and 1 tsp. lime zest -- approx. 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

Step 1: Stir together the first five ingredients in a small bowl. Toss spice mixture with beef cubes until evenly coated. I found that tossing everything together in a large zip bag worked great -- less mess!

Step 2: Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over Med-High heat. Add half of the beef cubes, and cook -- stirring often -- until browned on all sides. This will take 5-7 minutes. Repeat with the second half of the beef cubes. Transfer the cooked beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Step 3: Stir tomatoes, green chiles, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and beef broth into the slow cooker over the beef cubes. Give everything a stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW until beef is tender -- about 8 hours. During the final 30 minutes of cook time, uncover and cook until chili is slightly thickened. Stir in lime juice.

Step 4: While the chili cooks, make the crema. Add the sour cream, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes -- or make early in the day to really let the flavors combine.

Step 5: To serve, ladle the chili into serving bowls. Top with the Cilantro-Lime Crema and shredded cheese. Other great toppers include crunchy corn chips, creamy avocado, and chopped onion.

This chunky chili is the literal definition of comfort food! Everyone who tasted it absolutely LOVED it! It's definitely not typical Texas chili, but it was a great change of pace. It reminded us a bit of carne guisada -- the flavor and texture is very similar to that Tex-Mex staple. The best part of this recipe? If you have any leftovers? The chili tastes even better reheated the next day!

If you love the holiday season and want to bring your A game for your holiday cooking, baking, decorating, and entertaining? 2022 Christmas with Southern Living is a perfect resource! Other recipes I have my eye on for the upcoming holiday season include Muffuletta Dip, Mini Meatloaves with Winter Vegetables, and Rosemary Bacon Nut Mix (great homemade gift idea!!).

Disclosure: I received a copy of 2022 Christmas with Southern Living as part of the ABRAMS Dinner Party blogging group. All opinions shared are solely my own.