Maple Beef and Bacon Chili

Local maple syrup, Daniluk Farm raised ground beef, and thick cut bacon make this the most delicious chili on the planet! This recipe requires some simple prep work and pairs perfectly with my favorite Country Cornbread smothered in local honey. Please note that this recipe should NOT be doubled because you won't be able to fit it in your crock pot! It's already written as a double recipe since I love the leftovers from this chili - the flavors meld overnight in the fridge and it's even more delicious the second day!

My favorite maple syrup is the Grade A Dark maple syrup from Cedarvale Maple Syrup Co. and my favorite honey for the cornbread is from Hiwire Honeybees.

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Ingredients

On the Stove
2 pounds ground beef
12 ounces (1 package) Wegmans Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon

In the Crock
28 ounces (big can) Wegmans crushed tomatoes, steam peeled, no added spices
2 15-ounce cans Wegmans organic cannellini beans
2 16-ounce cans Bush’s organic baked beans
Generous pour of real maple syrup to taste (approximately 3/4 cup)
Sprinkling of brown sugar (light or dark, approximately 1/2 cup)
3 teaspoons REGULAR chili powder
½ teaspoon CHIPOTLE chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 twists each salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the ground beef in a frying pan on the stove over medium heat until cooked through. Strain the beef and add it to the crock pot. Discard the fat.
2. While the beef is cooking, cut the bacon strips into approximately ½- to 1-inch pieces. Use a very sharp knife and cut through the entire stack of very cold bacon at once.
3. Cook the bacon in the same frying pan on the stove until it reaches your desired crispiness (I prefer crispier bacon). Strain the bacon and put the cooked bacon in the crock pot. Discard the bacon grease.
4. Add the "In the Crock" ingredients to the crock pot and stir. Make sure you do a taste test! The flavors will meld as it cooks but you’ll have a pretty good idea if you have enough maple syrup and brown sugar from this test. Feel free to add more maple syrup if you'd like more maple flavor! Do not eat the entire crock pot of cold chili during the taste test.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (recommended) or on high for 3-4 hours (also delicious).
6. Serve with Erica’s most favorite Country Cornbread recipe, complete with butter and honey!