Meal: Crockpot chili
Batch cost: about $9, which has so far resulted in 4 servings, with at least another 2 still in the crock
Prep time: 10 minutes
Local ingredients: beef
Organic ingredients: tomato puree

One of my favorite crockpot dinners is chili. Chili in our household is very, very basic, due to a lack of overlap in food tastes. For us, that means a package of stew beef and a can of tomato puree, in a little water. They go into the crock with some garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and chili powder (unfortunately, I’ve never measured; I just guess) for 8 hours or more on low, or 5 to 6 on high, and dinner is ready when I get home from class.

If you have time or you’re craving some carbs, you can run up a batch of corn cakes. My version looks like this:

- 1/3 c all-purpose flour
- 1/3 c cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 c cheese
- 2 tbs jarred enchilada sauce
- 1/4 c water

Mix ingredients together until they’ve just combined and you have a thick, play-dough like dough (he uses his hands; it worked fine for me with a fork.) Pat out into rounds, cook in a medium skillet 3 to 5 minutes on a side until brown. Eat. Enjoy. They’re thick and hearty and tasty, and would probably benefit from a strong cheese, like a pepper jack or something. You can have these in under 15 minutes from when you enter the kitchen. For us, the cheese and cornmeal are local, and the flour organic.

Using your crockpot is an excellent way to make leftovers with zero effort on your part. You can add just about anything you want - chili peppers, corn, beans, etc - for a minimal increase in cost. This chili freezes well, and also tastes even better the next day. It serves well over mashed potatoes.