Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

I have a Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili to go along with the Soup Recipe I posted. Here's another good one to drive away the Winter blues! It's got a nice variety of vegetables and spices in it. You can add your favorite Hot Sauce to kick it up a notch.  Enjoy and Eat Healthy!

Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

Add a dash of hot sauce to your bowl for extra heat. Use a variety of your favorite beans, if you wish, in this Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili recipe.
Yield: Makes 15 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
1 celery ribs, diced (1/2 cup)
1 medium-size sweet onion, diced
Pam cooking spray
2 (8-oz.) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 butternut squash, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
3 cups tomato juice
2 (14 1/2-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
4 (15-oz.) cans (all low-sodium) pinto, black, great Northern, or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
* Hot Sauce, optional
** As all Chili, Soup and Stew recipes make it a day ahead of time and sit it in the fridge overnight. It's always better the 2nd day.


Preparation

1. Sauté first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash; sauté 3 more minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and next 2 ingredients, and sauté 5 more minutes.

2. Stir together tomato sauce and tomato juice in a 6-qt. slow cooker until smooth. Stir in diced tomatoes, next 2 ingredients, and carrot mixture. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.