Newton Citizen

Fire and ice chili is not your convential bowl of chili.

My husband Kevin and I were discussing what we needed to bring to the church chili cook-off. We were signed up to bring side items, but much to my surprise, Kevin wanted to make a chili to enter into the cook-off.

Before I go any further, you need some background information. Kevin likes chili, but with no beans in it. That's right, chili with no beans. That means you've just got meat and sauce. But apparently he isn't the only one who says, "Hold the beans please."

He told me he wanted to make a chili called fire and ice chili. I was still in shock that he wanted to enter the cook-off and completely surprised he knew how to make any type of chili. Why hadn't he ever made it before?

When Kevin purchased the Crock-Pot in his bachelor days, this recipe, or one like it, came with his new shiny appliance. He made it for the very first time at a chili cook-off during a Georgia-Georgia Tech game and thus began his love for this recipe.

Kevin told me not to get hung up on the fact that it is actually a chili.

By the way, beans or no beans, this dish is delicious.

Fire and ice chili

Start to finish: 10 hours and 30 minutes (active time)

3 pounds of boneless beef chuck roast

3 tablespoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

Two green bell peppers, chopped

Two onions (Vidalia, if available), chopped

One 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes

One 14-ounce can of pineapple chunks, juice included

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

One 8-ounce can of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of canola oil

Trim the fat off of the meat and slice the chuck roast into 1-inch cubes.

Pour the canola oil into a frying pan.

Brown the surface of beef chunks in the pan.

Place all of ingredients into the Crock-Pot and stir thoroughly.

Set the Crock-Pot on low for 10 hours.

Tip: Serve with saltine crackers or rice.