QUICK NOTE: This recipe was developed using a 6-QUART slow cooker. Cook time will be approx. 5 hours on HIGH or 9-10 hours on LOW heat.

Pick over lentils, removing any broken pieces/rocls. Rinse in a fine mesh colander or sieve.

Next prep your vegetables. Peel and dice onion. Remove stem/seeds from peppers and dice. Peel garlic and finely mince. Measure out remaining ingredients.

This is the fun part - toss everything but the toppings in a 6-QUART crock-pot! To your slow cooker you will add chopped onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, beans, corn, crushed tomatoes, broth, salsa, spices, and lentils. Mix it all up and secure the lid.

Want your chili spicy? Go for it! Feel free to add extra jalapeño on top, use spicy salsa in place of regular, and you can also control the heat of the chili by adding ground cayenne pepper to season your chili.

Set slow cooker to HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 9-10 hours, until lentils are cooked through and tender.

Serve with rice, cornbread, or straight up with your choice of toppings. It's fabulous every which way!

My favorite toppings for this chili are crushed tortilla chips (perfect for those broken chips at the bottom of the bag!) and fresh pico de gallo.

To make the pico, finely chop onion, tomato, and jalapeno. Combine with the juice of ½ a lime, fresh cilantro, and season with salt. Add a hearty dollop on top of your piping hot chili and get ready to faceplant!