Despite its name, chili con carne proved to be a frequently encountered dish along John Steinbeck’s American road trip, documented in Travels with Charley. Along the Canadian border in Maine, Steinbeck shared chili con carne with migrant Canucks in the Rocinante’s close quarters.

Further along his travels Steinbeck met family and friends for Thanksgiving in Texas, to which neighbors brought a family-recipe chili con carne that Steinbeck claims was “the best [he had] ever tasted.”

While I don’t think my chili con carne can hold up to the Texas standard, this is an easy recipe that is best enjoyed with cornbread on a cool night.

Ingredients

1 packet McCormick Chili Seasoning Mix

1 lb. ground beef

1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, undrained

2-3 peppers (any heat, according to your taste), chopped – reserve some seeds for the chili

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Shredded cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Brown the meat on stove until it is mostly cooked, with a little pink showing. The meat will cook all the way in the slow cooker. While the meat is browning, dumb the kidney beans into a saucepan and heat until soft. Add meat, beans, seasoning mix, dry ingredients, peppers, seeds, and crushed garlic to your slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle with a generous pinch of cheddar cheese and serve with cornbread to settle in for a cozy night.