Hellooooo Fall weather! I don't know about you, but this weather is making me feel some kinda vibe. Chili vibes to be exact! As soon as the weather turns cooler, that's my queue to start eating chili. While I tend to eat soups year round usually, chili is just one of those that I struggle to eat in the heat of the summer. I just feel like its MADE for the cooler weather! You know what I mean? And this one is GOOD y'all! It's such a hearty bowl to cozy up with on these cooler days. And it makes a ton! There will definitely be plenty for the whole family. I will go ahead and say, it is not the spiciest of chilis. Full disclaimer- I struggle with spice, like A LOT. And it's one of those things where I WISH I could eat more, but my body just will not let me. Like my tongue is literally ON FIRE sometimes when other people can barely taste it. I'm convinced it's a genetic thing since my mom doesn't do spice either, but who knows! BUT I say all this to say- you can TOTALLY make it spicier! I've indicated areas you can add more of ingredients to do so. But eating it as is should be perfectly fine for the kids! And if you like extra spicy, you can always split the pot into to two pots to take yours up a notch or two in the spice department! Either way, you are going to love this chili. It's full of ground meat, beans and butternut squash, among other ingredients that really tie in all the flavors together. I think the butternut squash is an excellent addition to really bring out all the Fall flavors we are seeing now! Have a lot of leftovers or only one person? Put those leftovers to good use by freezing individual servings in zip locs to use on a rainy day, you'll thank yourself later for this trick, trust me! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. :)
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
2 tbsp EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbsp chili powder (more for desired spice level)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
4-5 cranks black pepper
1.5 lbs ground meat of choice
1 sweet onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 cup diced mushrooms
3 large garlic cloves minced
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced (can add additional for desired spice level), more to top
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans drained/rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained/rinsed
3 cups butternut squash, cubed
3 tbsp Tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups Beef bone broth
Toppings (optional):
Sour cream (leave off if DF)
Shredded cheddar cheese (leave off if DF)
Green onions, chopped
Jalapeños, de-seeded and sliced
Corn or tortilla chips for added crunch
Note:
Gluten free
Dairy free (without sour cream and cheese)
Directions:
Heat EVOO over medium to high heat in a Dutch oven or large non-stick pot. Add onions, green peppers, jalapeño and garlic. Add one tsp of salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until mostly tender. Add in the ground meat and break apart slowly. Cook for 6-8 more minutes until browned and cooked through. When there's about 2 minutes left, add the mushrooms and mix well. Once cooked through, remove any extra grease if needed depending on how fatty your meat was. It's okay to leave about 2 tbsp in the pot for seasoning.
Next, add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika and tomato paste and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the rinsed and drained red kidney beans and pinto beans, followed by the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef broth. Mix well. Bring to a boil.
Add the butternut squash cubes and stir in. Reduce to simmer and cover and cook for about 25-30 more minutes until butternut squash is tender. If desired, may cook longer for additional flavor this is just the bare minimum.
Serve it up with your favorite toppings & enjoy!
Here's to all the Fall dishes to come! I hope you are as excited as I am. :)
Until next time, Cheers!
Magen Check
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