STEAK 'N SHAKE CHILI

2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1 can onion soup (I use Campbell's French onion)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cocoa
2 cans kidney beans (I use 3 cans- 1 of hot chili beans)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup cola (not diet!)

Brown ground beef and salt in oil.

Put soup in blender, blend for 1 minute. Add all to crock pot. Drain beef and beans before adding to pot.

Let simmer on low for 6 hours or on high for 2 hours.

NOTE: this recipe originally called for the entire dish to be prepared in the skillet that you warm through for an hour. We enjoy it this way more because the beans are more tender and the seasonings more pronounced. Most importantly, I am too busy and I am a crock pot fan.

From: Kim
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch