On of the best things about fall is pumpkin spice everything and I love how versatile pumpkin can be in a bunch of different recipes. I once attended a cooking class where they taught how to make a pumpkin stew with chicken and when I started brainstorming what kind of recipe I wanted to make for Halloween night, this variation of chili came to mind. The pumpkin in this recipe gives the chili a subtle sweetness and the cinnamon is just enough of a reminder that fall is here.
This is the perfect recipe for whipping up quickly before trick or treaters start arriving and leaving to slow cook as you hand out candy. In just a couple of hours the flavors have fully combined and it’s ready to serve.
Ingredients
1.) This dish start off by sautéing a cup of yellow onion in olive oil. Once the onion is translucent, add in the ground sirloin and allow it to brown. I used an 80 / 20 blend so before putting into the crockpot I drained off the grease. If you use a leaner cut of meat you might not need to do that.
2.) In the Crockpot add the beef and onions, bell peppers, canned tomatoes, kidney beans (optional) and pumpkin puree. Mix it together well.
3.) Add all the dry seasonings and mix well. At this stage the recipe will be very thick. Add in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and stir until combined.
4.) Place the on high and allow to simmer for 2 hours. When done, serve topped with Avocado and cheese.
We’re just a couple of weeks into the pro football and while the playoffs are still anyone’s ball game there is one surefire way to win every tailgate you show up at – with a filling recipe that the entire crowd can enjoy. After spending a month learning the in’s and outs of Whole 30 I have a new appreciation for folks who create recipes for special diets.
Both hearty and healthy this easy recipe is perfect for tailgates where you want to eat healthy and still feel full before heading into the stadium. Over the last couple of month’s I’ve shared my favorite discada recipes for breakfast (Tailgate Breakfast Tacos) and lunch (BBQ Bacon Burgers). Today’s dish is my pick for dinner in the parking lot before the game begins.
For today’s recipe I am using a I’m using the 22″ Discada and 12″ burner stand from Carolina Cooker. This is a big cooking space perfect for mixing up a large batch of stir fry! Also known as a Cowboy Wok or a Disco, a discada is made from a recycled plow disk that has had the center welded into a large dish. I love the versatility of a discada for tailgating!
Eating healthy at a tailgate can be a challenge. This easy recipe is perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a hearty and health meal before the game begins.
When I’m planning to tailgate the first step to prepare for cooking is prepping all of the produce and veggies. I love this dish because I can do all the chopping the night before and store each ingredient in a gallon ziplock bag. Once it’s time to cook just heat up the discada and away we go!
To start cooking, turn the discada up to a medium high heat and add olive oil in the pan. Once hot, toss in the yellow onions. I used 1 whole onion for this dish.
Allow onions to saute for 10-15 minutes or until translucent. Add sliced potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Potatoes take the longest to cook so keep an eye on the pan and make sure you aren’t allowing anything to burn.
Once potatoes are approximately 3/4 cooked, add the bell peppers. You can use any color of bell pepper you’d like. For my version I used an orange, yellow and green pepper.
Stir continually so nothing sticks to the pan. Once veggies appear close to done, toss in your sliced sausage. For this dish to be whole 30 I used Applegate chicken sausage because it is 100% sugar free. The sausage is fully cooked, so we are browning each piece while the veggies finish cooking.
If things appear a bit undercooked, push everything together into the center of the pan. This piling method allows for steam to finish cooking the potatoes and vegetables. Plate and serve with your favorite hot sauce or eat by itself!
[tasty-recipe id=”2626″]
Disclaimer: I received a product sample from Carolina Cooker to inspire this post. All content, opinions and thoughts are my own
Fall is my favorite time of year. The leaves are changing colors, the weather is cooler AND its the perfect time for slow cooker recipes and soups.
Chicken tortilla is one of my favorite recipes because its so easy to make, and it makes a big dish of leftovers I can eat all week long. When Drew and I first started dating, I made this recipe up and brought it all the away across town to him when he was sick. His favorite joke is telling people that this soup is why he married me.
This is a super easy recipe and one of my favorites for starting in the morning in the CrockPot and enjoying for dinner that night. It also works great stove top if you don’t have the time for slow cooking.
For this recipe you can either start with diced raw chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. I’ve even used leftover chicken from Qdoba catering in the past and it turned out amazing! You’ll also want 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can of Rotel with Green Chilis, 1 can of Corn, and 1 can of black beans. If you want to take the heat up, add an extra can of green chilis.
The primary seasoning in this recipe is McCormics Taco Seasoning. Since we make this so regularly I buy the big canister at Costco
but if you want just a 1 time amount you can pick up a packet of taco seasoning at the regular store.
Measure out 2 cups of shredded chicken. When I’m using a rotisserie chicken I like to have a good mix of both white and dark meat. Rotisserie chicken is perfect for soups and two cups is about half of the chicken. I like to save the other half by freezing it for another meal later.
Next toss all the cans into the crock pot and turn it on low. Add the chicken and 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning.
Mix everything together and put in 3 cups of chicken broth. I like to use Better Than Bouillon for my broth but you can use regular canned broth as well.
At this point the soup is going to look a bit thin. This will cook down as you slow cook. Set your CrockPot to Low and plan to leave for 6-8 hours.
If you want to add rice to make your dish a bit more hearty, there are 1 of two ways. I usually have pre-made rice frozen so I toss 1 cup in about 30 minutes before I am done cooking. If I don’t have any frozen rice on hand, I use 1/2 a cup and put it into the pot an hour before I plan to eat. You don’t want to add the rice in at the beginning since it will absorb too much of the broth while cooking.
Once the soup has thickened, its time to serve. Top off the dish with cheddar cheese, sour cream and of course a few tortilla soup and you have the ideal fall meal!
[tasty-recipe id=”2677″]
Quinoa is one of my favorite bases for an easy weeknight recipe. High in protein and low in carbohydrates, quinoa cooks up just like rice and is a great substitute when you are looking to eat healthy.
This Turkey Quinoa recipe is one of my go to weeknight dinners and the left overs are perfect for serving up throughout the week as lunch.
If you plan to use your turkey quinoa to fill acorn squash, you need to start the squash right away. Acorn is my favorite, but you could also use butternut or even bell peppers if you aren’t in a squashy mood.
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Place upside down on a small baking tray and add 1/2 cup of water. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place in the oven while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Quinoa comes in a couple of different colors. They all taste the same to me, so I like to mix them for a bit of variety. Two cups dry quinoa makes about 3 cups cooked.
Start a pot boiling with two cups of water and two cups of chicken broth. Add the quinoa and put a lid on the pot. Turn to low.
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a In a large frying pan and sauté 2 cloves of garlic and 1/2 of cup of red onion.
Add 1 cup of sliced mushrooms and cook until tender.
Add 1 lb ground turkey and cook until brown. Season with salt, pepper and 1 tsp cumin and add in the fully cooked quinoa.
Fill your acorns and serve! You’ll have have a ton of leftovers that you can eat for lunch throughout the rest of the week.
[tasty-recipe id=”2569″]
