Chili Mac

MMMmmmMMmmmmmMMMM!

This is #dinnergoals right here!

Oh, did you guys hear? There is some kind of football game this weekend that is very big and very important and requires lots of delicious foods while you watch. I have the perfect dinner for the occasion.

My recipe for Chili Mac is a mash up of a beef chili and a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. It is a little spicy and will keep you coming back for more. The chili becomes a robust, tex-mex type of meat sauce that kiiiind of puts regular marinara to shame.

To compliment that spicy goodness, we need something creamy (and, duh, cheesy because we are talking CHILI after all, so some sharp cheddar is very much needed). After the chili is cooked up, I add a bunch of hot pasta along with some of the pasta cooking water along with some sour cream to help melt that glorious cheddar into the chili/sauce. It's sort of magical and very tasty.

Now, as with most recipes I bestow upon you, it's worth mentioning that you can customize this to you and your family's liking! Prefer black beans over cannelini beans? Great! Want to tone town the spice factor? Use a bell pepper instead of the poblano. Like it a little extra spicy? Try shredded pepper jack instead of shredded cheddar! Where does it end?! (just FYI, it doesn't end until your plate is licked clean :-D)

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'!

Mexican-Style Beef and Chorizo Stew

Well, it's official C.O.L.D. here in Boston. But that's OK! Seriously, it is. That means we can eat soup and stew every night of the week and not feel bad about it.

I love wrapping myself up in a big cozy blanket with a big bowl of soup next to the Christmas tree on the couch--for me, that's what the holiday season is all about! It doesn't take much to keep us warm this time of year. And today, I'm bringing you a recipe that is going to warm you up from the inside out!

In an effort to mix up a classic, I set ahead and made this aahh-mazing recipe for Mexican-Style Beef and Chorizo Stew. A classic beef stew with the flavor turned way up. It's like beef stew meets spicy taco soup. Yum, yum, and more yum!

The base, of course, is meat and potatoes. Stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, plus a bunch of diced red potatoes to be exact. As for the heat, a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis and a heavy pinch of chili powder and cumin are just what we need. Why stop there, though? It's cold and snowing and we want spice! Diced chorizo--that's right, that smoky hot cured sausage--is the answer.

Now, generally, when I start making something new, I kind of don't know when to stop (or rather, I don't want to stop). That was just the case with this stew. Once I had sausage in the pot, the dish was begging for a can of a hearty beans. I used pinto beans because they are mild and tender. They just melt in your mouth after simmering on the stove for an hour or so. Finally, as a slightly sweet balance to all that flavor, I dumped in a bunch of whole kernel corn. Alas, I had it.

Oh, and of course, it's worth mentioning the leftover potential here. It's a crazy time of year, so having a few meals tucked away in the freezer for whenever we need them is a game-changer. This stew is delicious the day you make it, just as (or, possibly, more) tasty the next day (lunch!), and tailor made for freezing and reheating all month long. Thank you and you're welcome.

Recent Eats - Volume 3

A round-up of my favorite bites and other food drama from the past few weeks

It is officially FALL and that is something to celebrate. Whether you are obsessed with pumpkins, apples, winter squash, soups, stews, or casseroles, this is one of my favorite times of the year to cook and eat! 

Pumpkin Everything

I have quite a few pumpkin recipes on the blog, some of my favorites being Pumpkin Oat Waffles, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, and Pumpkin Martinis. This year, I want to experiment more with savory pumpkin recipes! In the meantime, I'm also going nuts with every pumpkin spice product the grocery store throws my way. 

Like yogurt...

 And Fudge Stripe Cookies...

(!!!)

Chili, baby!

Football season is in full swing and that always makes me crave a big pot of chili with all the fixin's. On opening day, I made a batch of my Mom's chili, but rather than cooking it on the stove I threw it in the Crockpot on high for 4 hours. For topping, I had plenty of sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips on hand. Combine this with a win for my team (the New York Giants!) and it turned into a pretty great Sunday!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini

This is so random, but I have been on a grilled sandwich kick recently. On Snapchat a few weeks ago, I made Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini that were to die for! The key components: chicken tenders, deli ham slices, and swiss cheese with mayo! Nestle it all between two slices of bread, butter the outside, and cook in a pan until golden brown and melty. I also use a grill press to really bind the whole sammie together. 

Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka a la Smitten Kitchen

I'm rather convinced that Deb can do no wrong. A true food blogging inspiration, I often find myself cooking a meal or two of hers every couple of weeks. This recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka is addicting! The spices are warm and comforting, while a dollop of greek yogurt cools the whole thing down. I had a few hearty helpings atop steamed white rice. Dinner bliss!

What are you cooking and eating and drinking this fall?! 

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin is so hip. It’s like the chambray of the food world. Everyone wants to get on the pumpkin bandwagon.

Hey, I won’t lie. I’m on it too. I’m loving it.

Last week I went all sweet on myself and made dark chocolate and walnut pumpkin cookies. I brought them to work and they were gone in a flash. Whether people were just being nice or if they really enjoyed them is a mystery, but I think it was the latter. They were super yummy. I’m being a good daughter and bringing my mother home some of these treats this weekend…go me!

Well, a few nights ago, I wanted to go all pumpkin overload again but I also didn’t want to bake. My poor Crock Pot has been collecting dust the past few months…the dog days of summer didn’t have me craving stew or chili or anything of that nature.

So, are you ready for the kicker? We are going to bring our love of pumpkin together with our love of our Crock Pots, and we are going to call it Pumpkin Chili.

I decided that a Turkey Pumpkin chili would work best…turkey is more mild than ground beef and so I was able to get a little crazy with the other flavors that went into the dish.

Because this is a Crock Pot meal, you can guarantee this is super simple and also super delicious. If the reality of fall hasn’t hit you yet, give this chili a try—it will have you dreaming of foliage and jack-o-laterns!

Quick Barley and Chicken Chili

It was a cold and rainy winter night in Boston. I needed something that would warm the heart and soul. Something that screamed COMFORT FOOD! Something that I could make after getting home from work at 6 that wouldn't require hours on the stove.....

It was a challenge I was willing to accept when I came upon a recipe on the back of my Quaker Quick Barley box. It's a Quick Barley and Chicken chili, and it promised slow cooker taste in 30 minutes! I went right to the super market and picked up the remaining ingredients I didn't have. I immediately got to work on dinner when I got home and let me tell you...this did NOT disappoint my cravings! Not only did it literally take 30 minutes, but I only had to use one pot and one spoon to prep the dinner! This is every working cook's dream.

So here's what you need for Chicken and Barley Chili, adapted from Quaker:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar of medium heat salsa
1 can low or no fat chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup quick barley
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 package of Perdue Short Cuts oven roasted chicken bites
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can beans (optional)
Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream on top

And here's what you do (be prepared...this is SO easy!!)
In your 6 quart soup pot, combine the diced tomatoes, salsa, chicken broth, water, barley, and seasonings. Stir and bring to a boil.

Let me quickly be honest about my seasonings and salsa. I did NOT use chili powder. Cory and I don't love spicy foods, so I decided to make it a little more flavorful by subbing the chili powder with some Lawry's seasoned salt and garlic powder (simply eye-balled and adjusted during cooking). However, in order to keep some of that true chili style, I decided on medium heat salsa. If you are using the spicy stuff, I'd maybe recommend mild salsa (unless you're a serious heat seeker, then ramp it up however you like!)
Ok. So your first ingredients are in the pot and boiling. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, grab your chicken. Now, if I may, these Purdue Short Cuts are God's gift to the working cook. Not only are they great on a salad or in a wrap, but any recipe that calls for the chicken to be cooked ahead of time BEGS for these bad boys. This chili was no exception. I didn't even need a knife. I took the pieces of chicken and just roughly ripped them apart. Many of them shredded a bit and this was just awesome! Season with salt and black pepper.
After 20 minutes of simmering, add in the corn, chicken, and beans if you please. Take a quick taste and adjust any seasonings. Stir and again bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and again cover and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the barley is tender and the chili starts to thicken up, you are ready to eat!
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a small dollop of sour cream.

This was my first time trying this meal, and to be perfectly honest I cut out the recipe and added it to our recipe box. There is nothing fancy, homemade, or labor intensive about this chili. But on a cold work night, when I didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen and wanted that comforting meal -- this was perfect. Anyone can pull this off! You are really using the grocery store's help here and there is NOTHING wrong with that. Plus, it is a great change up that is a bit lighter and more nutritious! (That is, until the cheese...)