Crockpot Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

It's 80 degrees in the middle of September, but soon enough Fall will be here for good and we will need as many Crockpot recipes as we can get our hands on. And I have a real keeper here!

This Crockpot Turkey Sweet Potato Chili is a deliciously lightened-up version of an old classic. It cooks low and slow all day long so that when you get home, you are greeted by a big pot of happiness and your home is guaranteed to smell of amazing fall flavors!

We will start by browning a diced onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil - and honestly, is there any better way to start a dish? Lean ground turkey joins the party next until it's cooked and crumbled, and that's all we need to do before throwing everything into our slow cookers. Dreamy, right?

Along with our turkey we need, not surprisingly, a peeled and diced sweet potato to join the Crockpot party. Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, white beans, and chopped bell peppers are very necessary. To keep the chili interesting, spice things up with the classics--a bunch of chili powder, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes and oregano--plus a few dashes of something a little different--cinnamon! Trust!

What do I love about this chili? Well, it's easy. Super duper easy as any Crockpot meal should be. The turkey and sweet potatoes become incredibly tender and just melt in your mouth. The chili spices along with the cinnamon and tomato paste are warming and comforting. Extra bonus: this recipe freezes beautifully so you can make a batch ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for a day when you need a tasty meal in a hurry.

It may still be hot outside, but this chili is going to keep you warm and happy on the inside. So let's break out those slow cookers and get cookin'!

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I have your new favorite dinner recipe, right here!

There's no oven involved (but we do get to break out our slow cookers!), every bite is packed with flavor and texture, and this recipe is so super simple! It's a win/win/win.

These Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps are bursting with sweet. sour, and spicy Asian flavors. It's like drippy teriyaki chicken meets fresh and crunchy spring rolls, all tucked together in a piece of fresh, tender bib lettuce. They are light yet satisfying - a perfect summer meal or appetizer! Let's walk through it all...

It all starts with the most unbelievable teriyaki chicken, which we whip up with very little thought thanks to our Crockpots. It starts with chicken breasts and chopped onions layered in the bottom of the pot, doused in an amazing teriyaki marinade. The marinade is quite simple and packed with tasty ingredients you probably already have on hand - teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger. After 4 to 5 hours cooking on high, we simply shred up the chicken, thicken the sauce with a bit of cornstarch, and pile it high on our wraps!

Besides the lettuce, I love adding a handful of vermicelli rice noodles to each leaf of lettuce. The rice noodles soak up the glorious sauce from the chicken and give the whole dish a little more oomph. To finish up, we just need a few simple fixin's. I'm partial to cilantro leaves, sesame seeds, and a squirt or two of sriracha.

Now, this dish...sure, it's a little messy. Your fingers are going to get sticky and you may get teriyaki sauce all over your face. But trust me - for a dish this delicious, it's worth it!

Soup's On!

Hi there, internet! How are you doing?

Sorry there has been a bit of radio silence around here. In an effort to not bring down the mood too much, I'll just say this: life. Life happens. It's been busy. Sadly, my wonderful Grandma passed away last week. She was 96, and we were able to celebrate her with family and friends for a few days, and that was lovely. I've also been slightly unmotivated in the kitchen. I was stumped for new ideas and when I did have an idea, it would bomb. It happens sometimes, it's just a creativity rut. But, the good news is, I've been doing a lot of eating outside of my kitchen. I will say that it is rather interesting how a little time eating someone else's food can get the juices flowing. Also with Thanksgiving less than a month away (OMG STOP - how can this be?!) food is surely going to be on our brains for the next few weeks.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am HOSTING - yes, indeed. In my two bedroom apartment, we will be piling in both my family and my in-laws for a non-stop day of eating. Please pray that I don't burn the turkey, that my pie crust comes together with ease, and that I can make my Grandma's Cheesy Carrot Casserole as tasty as she always did. Thank you <3

Are you chilly? I'm cold. We are resisting putting our heat on for as long as possible, but yesterday there was frost on the ground. Temptation is real.

When life gets chilly and you just want something delicious to eat, I always turn to my soup pot. I've made a whole lot of soup and stew and chowder around here (see my recipe list for the complete repertoire). Today, I'm rounding up a few of my most recent favorites that you should be sure to add to your menu this week!



Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice Soup - Flavor is seriously amped up in this warming, zingy soup. It's a crazy twist on an old classic, and I especially love soaking up that extra coconut curry broth with a warm piece of naan bread. Ugh, I'm starving!



Crockpot Harvest Beef and Barley Stew - This stands as one of my most popular recipes of 2015, and for good reason. First of all, your slow cooker does all the work for you. Then there are the autumnal flavors of rosemary and sweet potato in every bite, making this meal as comforting as your favorite flannel pjs!



Spicy Sausage, Gnocchi and Kale Soup - The ingredient list is small (awesome) but the flavor is out of this world (amazing)! Pillows of gnocchi and ribbons of kale swimming in a slightly spicy, slightly sweet creamy pool of soup - what's not to love!



Ground Lamb and Pearl Cous Cous Stew - I la-la-looove lamb, and a bit of ground lamb in this stew creates a unique, gamey flavor that gets complimented with a bit of cinnamon and tomato paste. This is a little off the beaten path, but wow is it tasty. It reminds me a lot of the rustic stews and soups we had during our honeymoon in Iceland!



Cream of Turkey Soup with Wild Rice Medley - Hi, were you listening earlier when I said Thanksgiving is on it's way? That means it won't be much longer until Thanksgiving LEFTOVERS, which let's be real are the true MVPs of this holiday. This soup. Holy cow. Rich, delicious, simple. I'm totally addicted!

New recipes coming next week! See you then :-)

Crockpot French Onion Beef Stew

Beef stew season is here!!

I la-la-love beef stew, in any variety. With barley, over mashed potatoes, with a harvest-style twist, I feel like I've done it all. Cooked low and slow, no matter what you throw in it, it's bound to be delicious. 

This Crockpot French Onion Beef Stew is rooted in tradition - big bites of carrot, potato, celery, and onions cook all day with tender stew beef and rich beef broth. There's not much more you need, but I wanted to try...something else. I happened to have a packet of french onion soup mix in my pantry and I didn't have to think twice - this is what my stew needed. A salty, oniony kick, complimented with a glug of Worcestershire sauce and a can of tomato sauce for a little tang. 

Now, I don't think I need to spend much time on the fact that this is all made in the Crockpot and therefore you hardly have to expend any effort before you get to snuggle up with a big delicious bowl of this stew. Chop up those veggies, dump everything in your trusty slow cooker, do whatever you have to do for 8 hours, and then...dinner time! 

Just a few notes on this stew: french onion soup mix can be VERY salty, so I strongly suggest using a low sodium beef broth and salting very lightly in the beginning. It will be very important to taste and season gradually to avoid over-salting the dish. Also, I always recommend searing your stew beef before adding it to the Crockpot, but this dish will be just as delicious if you skip this step (but oh, boy, it is delicious if you have the time!) Lastly, the stew will freeze well! Once it has finished cooking, cool completely and store in a freezer-safe air tight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge then reheat in a large pot until warmed through. 

Crockpot Harvest Beef and Barley Stew

I have your new favorite Crockpot dinner ready to go! If you're overwhelmed at the thought of a full 24+ hours of cooking for Thanksgiving, this is a perfect recovery meal (that is better than take-out!)

This Harvest Beef and Barley Stew is the perfect set it and forget it meal that is packed with warm, comforting fall flavors. I love how just a few updates on a classic recipe make this stew feel totally new again!

If you're wondering what exactly makes this a "Harvest" stew, it's really quite simple! I added a couple of small diced sweet potatoes, a few dashes of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and chopped fresh rosemary. The sweetness of the potatoes and cinnamon pair well with the tang of tomato soup and the saltiness of the beef broth to create glorious soupy balance!

If food were blankets, this stew would be the biggest, warmest, flannel-iest blanket you could imagine!

The recipe as written includes one teeny, tiny extra step that I think truly makes a difference in the depth of flavor - dredging the beef in flour and browning it in a cast iron pan prior to dumping everything in the slow cooker. This step is optional if you are really in a pinch, but if you have the time give this technique a try!