Slow Cooker Beef and Refried Bean Chili with Salsa and Lime

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 T minced garlic, or less
• 2 tsp. chile powder
• 2 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1 1/4 cups salsa
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can beef broth
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Lime slices for serving, optional

Directions

1. Warm 2 tsp. olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan. Add the ground beef and sauté for about 10 minutes, crumbling it with a turner as it cooks, until it is nicely browned.
2. Move the beef into the slow cooker. If you want to remove some fat, rinse the browned meat with hot water in a fine strainer before adding it.
3. Pour the other tsp. of olive oil into the same pan. Stir in the onions and cook until they begin to color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the minced garlic and let it cook for a minute or two more. Sprinkle in the chili powder, ground Ancho chili pepper, ground cumin, and Mexican oregano, then sauté everything for about 2 more minutes.
5. Spoon the onion and spice mixture into the slow cooker, then add the salsa.
6. Set a colander in the sink, pour in both cans of beans, and rinse them with cold water until the foam is gone.
7. Leave the beans to drain for a minute while you put the beef broth and refried beans into the pan you used for the onions and spices.
8. Whisk or stir with a fork until the refried beans are blended into the broth, then pour that mixture into the slow cooker.
9. Tip the drained beans into the slow cooker.
10. Set the slow cooker on low and let it cook for 6-8 hours. After about 4 hours, check whether you want to splash in a tiny bit of water; this is a thick chili, though you may want it a little looser. When the chili is ready, mix in the lime juice and serve while hot.