Chili Cookoff!

I've never made chili before. But when my work decided to hold a chili cookoff benefit, I decided it was never too late to try it! That being said, I've never been a 'traditional' person, so I thought I would do something different from the normal beans/ground beef combo.

I found a recipe for Texican Chili on Taste of Home, but I decided that I needed to add some flair to it. I added more of some ingredients, didn't brown the beef cubes beforehand (or dice them smaller... laziness was a contributing factor!) and gave it a little Indian twist. So here is my variation of that recipe, which I will call 'Texicindian Chili' due to the garam masala spice. :) It will make your house smell divine.

TEXICINDIAN CHILI (made in a 5-qt. slow cooker!)

16-18 servings, Prep: 25min. Cook: 9hrs.

Ingredients:
8 bacon strips, diced
2-1/2 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
2 cans (one 28 oz., one 14-1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups sliced carrots

1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 T. dried parsley
2 T. chili powder
1 T. garam masala
1/2 T. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain.
Add beef cubes, bacon + drippings, and all remaining ingredients to slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.

I wasn't even close to winning, but there was absolutely nothing leftover, so I am considering it a success!