Crock Pot Picadillo (Whole30) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs 93% lean ground beef
1 cup onion, minced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/4 cup alcaparrado (manzilla olives, pimientos, capers) or 1/4 cup green olives
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Brown meat in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat; season generously with salt and a little pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small pieces.
2. When meat is no longer pink, drain all the liquid from pan. Add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers to the meat and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
3. transfer the meat to the slow cooker, then add tomato, cilantro, tomato sauce, 1 1/4 cups water, alcaparrado (or olives) [I usually add some of the brine from the jar for added flavor] then add the spices.
4. Set slow cooker on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
5. After it's ready, taste for salt and add more as needed .
6. Discard the bay leaves and serve over brown rice. (For WHOLE30, serve over cauliflower rice.).