Turkey Autumn Chili

Okay, so it's winter.  Whatev.  This yummy chili is still perfectly relevant for these dark winter evenings, and a great way to use any cans of pumpkin from your Thanksgiving stash.  There's perhaps nothing as comforting to eat for dinner than a warm bowl of chili!

Turkey Autumn Chili

from The Crockpot Blog

• 1 lb turkey breast cut in cubes (I used ground turkey - make sure you brown it first!)
  
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
  
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  
• 1 C pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed (I used a can)
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 C frozen corn
  
• 1/2 C chicken broth
  
• 1 T chili powder
  
• Optional topping: sliced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc...
  

Combine all ingredients (except for toppings) in a 6qt slow cooker.  Cover and cook on the low temperature setting for 10 hours.

Delicatessen Slow Chili

About a million years ago, I signed up to be a part of The Nest's "Test Kitchen" - I wasn't selected for the first round, but in July (like, 5 minutes before we moved!) I was contacted to be a part of a second installment.

The Nest Magazine sent me this recipe for Delicatessen Slow Chili... along with the All-Clad Metalcrafters Soup Pot (for which I canNOT find a link).  Sweet!

So I stumbled around boxes and packing tape and donation piles and created our last real meal in our little townhouse.  There's something kind of off about eating chili in July, but it was one of the best chili's I've ever made.  

The recipe/giveaway was a part of their Fall 2010 issue, but alas - my photo and comments ended up on the cutting room floor.  Booo.  (Do magazines have a cutting room floor?)  However, not only did I snag an awesome new pot (which I highly recommend - I use it ALL the time!), but to make up for it, The Nest Magazine gave me another go-around with a new recipe for their Winter 2010 issue - I can't wait to blog about that one too, once the issue is out.

I couldn't find a link to the recipe, so I'm typing it out as it appears in the magazine, with my changes in parenthesis.  Don't be put off by the number of ingredients; we all probably have 90% on hand (or appropriate substitutions).

Delicatessen Slow Chili

Recipe courtesy of Chef Michael Ferraro, executive chef at Delicatessen in NYC

• 1/2 pound pork shoulder, diced
• 1/2 ground beef (I omitted the pork and doubled the beef)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 clove garlic, roasted (I omitted and diced 2 cloves)
• 1 1/2 chipotle en adobe, finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans (I used one can)
• 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (I used one can)
• 1 1/2 cups canned and peeled Italian plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white beef stock (couldn't find "white" anywhere, so I used regular)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce
• Optional toppings: sliced avocado, sour cream, sliced scallions, shredded cheddar...

Season the pork and beef with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat pot over high heat.  Add oil and then the pork and beef.  Cook for 10 minutes until browned.

Drain off excess oil and add dried seasonings.

Remove meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions and minced garlic to pot and cook until tender.

Add chipotle en adobe and roasted garlic.

Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients and cook over a slow simmer for 2 hours, continuously skimming excess fat.

Taste and add final seasoning of salt and pepper.

Serve with desired toppings.  (I served this over rice.)

Weight-Watchers Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

One of my message boards has been talking about this Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili (from Gina's WW Recipes - full of awesome stuff!) and I was really excited to try it out.

I've said this a thousand times, but there is nothing like dumping stuff into the crockpot and coming back to it hours later and poof- there's dinner. Whether you're working crazy hours, or dealing with nutty kids, or really just don't feel like cooking, this is an awesome meal for you.

And I would NEVER have guessed it was so figure-friendly if I didn't know it specifically came from a WW blog. It was just SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS - I couldn't figure out how it could be good for you.

Make this tonight - you will not be sorry.


Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
  
• 24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)
  
• chopped fresh cilantro

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).

Apple Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin-Fest '08 continues in my kitchen, and this time the Big Orange entered the crockpot!

When this was posted on Proceed with Caution, I printed it immediately to be used on my next crockpot Wednesday.


It smelled so amazing in the crockpot, and it was so simple to prepare. I actually threw it together the night before and stashed the insert in the fridge. That morning, all I had to do was pop into the pot and push the buttons. Awesome.

The taste was fabulous, too! Nice and warm and fall-ish... and not too spicy! I LOVE not-too-spicy chili!



For all of you moms, I also figured out that the key to getting my kid to eat dinner is to let him wander underfoot as I'm trying to take pics for the blog. It doesn't matter at ALL how much (or how little) he's eaten - once he sees me fiddling with the dishes and the camera on the window seat or table, he's all over it. I have been catching so many shots lately with little hands fingers sneaking in.

I just might start feeding him at the window seat...!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken, browned in a skillet
• 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans
• 1.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cleaned, and sliced
• one medium shallot, diced
• 1 granny smith apple, diced
• 1/2 can pumpkin puree
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• grated cheddar cheese, for topping

Combine all except thickener and cheese in a crockpot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6. Add thickener (equal parts broth and cornstarch) if desired and heat on high for a few minutes to thicken sauce. Serve, topping with grated cheese.

White-Bean and Apple Crockpot Chili

Oh, how GLORIOUS it was to prep this puppy last night, dump it in this morning, and come home to a ready-made MEAL! WOW!

Forgive my excitement. See, in the past, I could never use the crockpot unless I was home... which kind of defeats the purpose. I was gone too long to use it on low, but not home long enough to use it on high. So the crockpot became a weekend-appliance, and really, the weekends are when I like to cook things that I don't have time for during the week!


But like I said a few days ago, I recently purchased one with a few automatic settings, so I have joined the ranks of those who crockpot while at work.

And where to continue my crockpotting journey than with the CrockPot Lady!

This White-Bean and Apple Crockpot Chili was pretty good. Mine came out less liquidy than hers did, but I'm okay with that. I didn't listen to her warning about it being kind of bland, because I really don't enjoy spicy foods, but I should have - it was a bit too bland even for me. I will definitely crank up the spices a bit next time!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Any crockpot over 4 quarts would work well with this dish.

Put the butter into the bottom of your crockpot. Dump in the drained and rinsed beans. Add the onion, garlic, and the apple. Add the spices, and pour in the broth. Stir in the yogurt.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the onion has reached desired tenderness and the flavors have melded. Stir in the cheddar cheese before serving.

Summer Chili

Dear Lauren,
You do not like beer. At all. In fact, you hate it. So was it really a smart idea to elect a recipe that involved cooking with it? Did you really think that, along with most of the alcohol, the TASTE would cook out? Not so much, chica. Next time, try wine or broth.
Love and kisses,
Yourself



Well, I was so psyched for this recipe for Summer Chili by Patty. SO.PSYCHED. But I'm a moron. I don't know why I didn't sub in something else for the beer, but I could totally taste it, and no amount of sour cream or cheddar cheese could mask the flavor.

Other than that, though, I think I liked it... I couldn't finish my dish, though, because of the beer taste. I definitely want a do-over with this one with either wine or beef broth.

Pat loved it, though, so if you like a good brewski, go for it!

You can find Patty's original recipe by clicking the link above. My version is below.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 pound ground turkey

½ - ¾ cup summer ale

1 can black beans

1 can of pink beans

1 zucchini, roughly diced

1 1/2-2 cups tomato sauce

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder (not as much as regular chili!!)

2 - 3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

1 ½ - 2 tablespoons honey

Splash of lime juice (optional)

Toppers: Cheddar cheese, green onions, chopped tomatoes

Heat your pan to medium, put the olive oil into the pan. Toss in the chopped onion. Brown your ground turkey.

Pour in the beer and cook for a few minutes to let the alcohol cook out.

Drop the heat back to medium and add in everything else, no particular order (except for the toppings, of course!). Then, let simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. At the very last second – cut a lime in half and squeeze the juice over the chili.

Serve warm over rice with your choice of toppings. I happen to like cheese, green onions & chopped tomatoes.

Chili Cheese Dogs in Beach Blankets

Any recipe that is considered as "classy as a cheeseburger casserole" absolutely HAS to be delicious. And thoroughly artery-clogging.

Rachael Ray's Chili Cheese Dogs in Beach Blankets (thanks, Brooke!) was both.

They were pretty fun, as long as I pretended that serving them with this Tomato and Veggie Casserole made them healthy. Ryan loved it, and Pat ate THREE of them (and then wondered why his stomach hurt later...). I would totally make this again.

And I'm sorry for the pictures. There was no way I could make them look less phallic. I tried...

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3/4 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons dehydrated onion
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tube pizza dough, from the dairy aisle at the grocery store
• 8 beef, turkey, pork or tofu dogs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

In a small pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the pot and brown it up, 6-7 minutes. Season the meat up with chili powder, granulated garlic, dehydrated onion and a little salt and pepper.

Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir it around a minute, then add the water to help loosen the tomato paste up and get it everywhere. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for five minutes, then turn the heat off.

Roll the pizza dough out into a big rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise with a small knife. Cut the dough into four equal pieces across so that you end up with eight small, rectangular pieces of dough. Across the center of each rectangle, place a couple of spoonfuls of chili sauce and a small handful of cheese sprinkled on top. Set the dog on the dough and wrap and roll the pizza dough around the dog like a blanket, sealing in the chili and cheese too! The nubs of each end of the dog should be peeking out.

Bake in the oven 18 minutes, until golden.

Chili Dog Cheeseburgers

This was by far one of the yummiest burger recipes I've tried in a LONG time. Probably not the healthiest, but hey - I'll skip dessert (Yeah. Right.). I can't wait to make this again...



I served this with French Fries topped with the leftover chili.

Ingredients:

• 8 slices center cut or other lean, thick-cut, smoky bacon (I omitted.)
• 1 pound ground lean beef
• 2 hot dogs, beef or pork, diced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it, divided (I omitted.)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• Vegetable oil, for drizzling
• 4 slices deli sliced Cheddar (I used American.)
• 1/2 cup chili sauce (I couldn't find this, so I used turkey chili.)
• 4 kaiser rolls, split
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (Dried.)
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Preheat broiler to high.

Place bacon on slotted broiler pan. Cook bacon 10 inches from the heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until crisp then adjust oven to bake setting for temperature recommended on fries packaging. (I obviously skipped this whole step.)

While bacon cooks, make the burgers. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Mix beef with diced dogs, chili powder, grill seasoning, Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and ketchup. Form 4 large patties. Add a drizzle of oil, 1 turn of the pan and add the patties. Cook burgers 6 minutes on each side, then top with 2 slices bacon and 1 slice of cheddar, each. Turn pan off, cover with loose foil tent and let cheese melt, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slather chili sauce on the tops of split keiser rolls. Place bacon chili-cheese burgers on bun bottoms and top each burger with lettuce, cilantro, and lime juice. (I also added sliced tomato.) Set bun tops in place. Pile fries alongside and serve.