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'!

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with Pesto Pasta

I need to talk to you guys about these meatballs, on account of they are out of this world!

I don't have a very long history of meatballs here on Gas Stove Girl (but these Greek meatballs and mozzarella stuffed ones are glorious), but these Turkey Zucchini Meatballs will be a regular in our dinner rotation. They are light yet perfectly filling and chock full of good flavor.

Unlike most turkey meatballs you've had before, these meatballs are JUICY, not dried out and dull. The secret, as you may have guessed, is shredded zucchini. The zucchini is the perfect complement to lean ground turkey, whole wheat breadcrumbs, crushed garlic, grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. I cook these in my cast iron skillet, as this gives the meatballs the perfect golden brown crust. They are finished in the oven until juicy meatball perfection is achieved. Doesn't this golden brown sear make your mouth water?!

LOOK AT IT!

These are a perfect summer appetizer - I'd serve them with a cool greek yogurt dipping sauce - but last night, Cory and I enjoyed these with whole wheat pasta tossed with fresh made pesto. We both devoured our dinner, and I suspect I'll get a request to make this dish again sometime soon!

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Ragu

Spaghetti squash. Let us discuss the mysterious spaghetti squash.

People have been really into this squash, making casseroles and bakes and pie crusts all over the blog-o-sphere. It has become common practice to replace pasta with a base of spaghetti squash. I get it, it's cute. SPAGHETTI squash instead of SPAGHETTI...but I wasn't buying it.

I finally found a beautiful spaghetti squash in my Whole Foods the other day so I scooped it up along with some meat sauce ingredients. I wanted to give spaghetti squash a chance, and I needed to light meal to balance all these pumpkin spiced baked goods I've been eating :-)

It sounds so cliche, but this Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Ragu may be my new favorite pasta dish--and there is no pasta here! Spaghetti squash tendrils are topped with a rich, thick turkey meat sauce packed with fresh parsley and basil and a twist of lemon juice. It is rich and comforting and bright. The squash is buttery from roasting and adds the perfect crunch to the lovely, meaty ragu.

For anyone who has never purchased a spaghetti squash before (like me), here is a fool-proof way to prepare it. If yours has a stem, lop it off. Then cut the spaghetti squash in half and, using a spoon, scrape out all of the seeds and the guts. I originally thought I was cleaning out the "spaghetti" part of the spaghetti squash, but this won't materialize until the squash is cooked. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.

Line a heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash cut side down onto the olive oil and bake for about 35 minutes. The squash is done when you push on the skin and it gives a bit.

Top a bowl of this squash and ragu with extra fresh herbs and a bit of parmesan cheese. Leave out the cheese and you have a Paleo friendly meal as well! But trust me - this dish is so delicious, you won't have any idea that it's that good for you!

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!