Pumpkin Chili Recipe

adapted from here

Today we're continuing the pumpkin theme with pumpkin chili! My husband was very skeptical (actually, I'm pretty sure he thought I'd lost my marbles) when he saw this on the menu for the week. But he ended up really enjoying it, as did I! The pumpkin is subtle, but still there. And it makes for a creamier chili, rather than really chunky like my go-to chili recipe is (maybe I'll share that one at some point, too?). And it smells amaaaazing while it's cooking. Like chili combined with pumpkin pie, which sounds weird but it totally works. I wish I could make this a scratch-and-sniff post, but I can't, so if you want to find out what I'm talking about you'll just have to make it yourself. ;) This recipe made enough for one heaping bowl for each of us, so if you're feeding more than two people (or want leftovers) you'll have to multiply the ingredients.

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15.25-ounce can black beans
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a medium pan. Add the bell pepper and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. (If you are planning on throwing this together in the morning before heading to work or wherever, you can simply complete this step the night before then store in the fridge until the morning.)

2. In your crock pot, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, pumpkin, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Stir in the beef/pepper combo. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Treat it like a regular chili and serve with your favorite chili toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, or tortilla strips.

Chili is already a great fall dish, but the pumpkin just takes the "fall" level up a notch, which I love. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

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Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

adapted from here

 This recipe is not your typical "throw ingredients into pot, walk out door" kind of crockpot recipe. It requires preparation of the sauce before you can combine everything in the pot. So while it's perfect for me-- I can prepare the sauce and throw everything together in the morning when I still have the motivation and energy-- it may not be the ideal crockpot recipe for working moms. But it would be perfect on the weekends, when you can prepare it and then go do something fun for a few hours, then come home to an already-cooked dinner!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounce) Rotel diced tomatoes and jalapenos
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 package (10 ounce) frozen corn
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, diced
2 cans (10 ounce) Enchilada sauce
2 whole chicken breasts
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and ½ cup of the milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and chicken broth mixture . Gradually whisk in remaining milk until smooth. Whisk in taco seasoning until blended. Set aside.

 2. In a crockpot, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When you are ready to serve, shred chicken (I use two forks; if you have a better method that doesn't involve removing the chicken I'd love to hear it) and give the whole thing a stir.

  Top with cheese and tortilla chips (like with chili and Fritos).

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