BBQ Beef Chili

We love a good twist on chili--chicken enchilada, pizza, butternut squash, buffalo chicken, you name it. So of course this BBQ beef chili needed to be tested. And it is definitely approved. Onions, tomato and corn pair up with barbeque baked beans and seasonings for a hearty and flavorful chili. What I like about this chili is that the flavors are strong, but since it's barbeque they aren't the typical "hot" spice that it normally associated with chili. Just a nice, strong smoky flavor that always goes really well with beef. Plus the beer makes things that much richer. Top with cheese, serve with chips and dig in.

Pulled Pork & Beer Chili

As you know, we love chili. Like a lot.  It's easy to make, hearty and when the temperature decides to drop to the 20s, it's a great way to warm up, especially with some tortilla chips for scooping and a beer to wash it all down.  Of course you can also add the beer to the chili and bridge the flavor gap, which is of course what I did.  Loaded with beans, peppers, onions and shredded pork, this chili is so quick to make and is delicious.  A little bit of heat from the chili powder and tomatoes with green chiles, and the beer adds a nice depth to the background flavors.  I always cook with a beer that has a good flavor on its own, so this time I chose a lager, Yuengling, since we brought back a couple of cases from Pennsylvania and kicked the keg of Harpoon UFO Pumpkin (don't worry--we've ordered another one to have for Thanksgiving).  Keeping our beer supply well stocked is important.

Southwest Winter Squash Soup

It's definitely soup season and since I've got a ton of winter squash, that's what's going in the soup pot.  Or in this case, the crock pot.  Unlike the acorn squash soup I made last month, this soup has a kick and some south of the border flavor.  In this soup, the acorn squash gives a bit of sweetness to start, then the chiles, pepper and chili powder come in at the end with a nice kick of heat that kind of sneaks up to say, "hi!"  I was actually surprised by the kick of heat, since I wasn't expecting it to be so pronounced, but it can be tempered with a bit of lime juice or some sour cream to cool things down.  The soup is very tasty and makes a lot--I brought in extra portions for some workers who enjoyed it for lunch--filling, but still light and definitely tasty.

Pumpkin Beer Chili

It's October.  The temperatures are cooling and football is in full swing.  That means chili season, pumpkin season and beer season.  Well, it's kind of always beer season for us, but now that I've discovered the excellent flavor enhancing skills of beer when added to chili, beer and chili go together in a whole new way in my kitchen.  So I completely devoured this chili made with a mix of turkey, pepper and onions, tomatoes, pumpkin and lots of seasoning, as well as a nice, healthy serving of beer.  This is a perfect chili for October--oodles of flavor, hearty and filling for cool fall evenings, and a savory pumpkin base.  Yet another chili for our rotation, and that's just fine with me.

Vegetarian Black Beans and Rice

I can think of all kinds of meals for which this black beans and rice dish would make the perfect side, but my favorite way to have it has actually been for lunch with a green salad.  It's filling but still has light, fresh flavors that keep me going through the afternoon.  Dave surprised me by really enjoying this as well, and he's figured out that wrapping some of this in a tortilla with a little taco sauce or salsa makes a perfect and quick burrito.  There is a bit of sweetness from the tomatoes and a gentle heat from the diced chilies, plus lots of flavor from cilantro, cumin, onion and garlic. Definitely yummy and healthy never hurt anyone.

Beef, Bean and Beer Chili

It's triple B chili where the B stands for flavor in the shape of beef, beans and beer!  Surprisingly I've never put beer in my chili and now I'm wondering how I missed out on that glorious addition.  This chili is hearty and filling, with lots of flavor and delicious chunks.  Thick, like a good chili should be, I served this topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions and a side of beer bread.  The heat can be adjusted, but we liked the spicy chili powder and the addition of a diced jalapeno.  Dave was in love with this chili, calling it one of the best I've made.  Not too shabby considering I've got eight other chili recipes, some that I've been making for years.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

This might be my favorite thing I've made all summer. And it doesn't even have any chocolate in it, so it must be good.  Seriously, I've made this three times already this month and will probably make it again next week.  It all started with some awesome corn from our farm box.  Then some black beans, a little mango and red onion.  A lonely jalapeno pepper needing some love got thrown in.  Then dressed with a bit of olive oil and lime juice and tossed with some cilantro.  Amazing.  Light, fresh flavors but still essentially summer-esque make a nice alternative to my usual salsa.  This dip is hearty and I'm sure would be great with some sort of actual meal, but it's never made it that far since Dave and I have literally shoveled this into our mouths with tortilla chips until we run out.  And then I have to make it again.  I'll be sad with the fresh corn runs out, because I seriously love this salsa.

Sante Fe Cheesy Chicken Stir Fry

Healthy, simple and super tasty, this is a great go-to week night meal if you like southwest flavors, which I think my now you know we do in our house.  I came home from work and our friend Stacey had stopped by, so I was easily able to adapt this recipe to serve a third person.  Lots of veggies, great seasonings, chicken and beans are topped off with cheese for a delicious dish.  I packed this delicious filling into a wrap and topped it with some sour cream for a twist on the traditional soft taco, but it'd would be great over rice or even just by itself.  Fresh and flavorful, you might be surprised to learn it's super healthy!

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

It's no secret that we love Mexican food.  One of my favorite things about Mexican is that it's simple to make (easy for throwing together after work) and I generally have all the components in the fridge or pantry.  So these chimichangas, baked up with seasoned beef, beans, veggies and cheese, are so delicious and were easy to make.  As a weeknight meal, I came home, cooked the meat and veggies, then assembled them.  Once in the oven, I had some time to hang out and since the whole thing came together pretty quickly, we still ate at a reasonable hour (one of my requirements if I'm going to cook from scratch when I get home from work).

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Much as I love to bake and cook, when I come home from work, the last thing I want to do is hurry to put together a complicated dinner.  If it's not already finished in the crock pot, the next best thing (besides leftovers), is a recipe that can be pulled together with a few ingredients and quickly.  Ideally it'd be hearty and healthy, but beggars can't always be choosers.  Unless they're begging for this recipe.  I was thrilled with this recipe.  Loaded baked potatoes in general make me happy--stuffed with all kinds of cheese, veggies, seasoning and other fixings, and this sweet potato version takes that all to a new level.  We love sweet potatoes and have gotten an abundance from our CSA this winter, so finding new ways to enjoy them is always a plus.  Lots of veggie and hearty black beans seasoned up with a little spiced up sour cream, salsa, and cheese, this dish is the perfect meal for a hurried weeknight, but it also makes an awesome lunch.  I made the whole batch and saved the leftover filling to shove into newly baked sweet potatoes the next couple of days.  Besides being completely delicious, these loaded baked sweet potatoes are hearty and healthy for anyone looking to keep calories in check.  Load up on all the fiber and protein in one amazing dish.

Chicken Taco Stew

This is a favorite that I've been making for years.  It's simple to make, delicious, filling and fairly healthy until we ruin it with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.  And while it's perfect without all the garnish, it gets that much better with the fanfare.  Beans, corn, tomatoes, and onion combine with seasoned chicken to create a chunky bowl of yum.  There's not enough liquid to consider this a soup but a little too much to be a chili, and the chunks just beg to be scooped up with chips.  This chicken taco stew makes frequent appearances for pot lucks, parties and for delivery dinners for friends in need.  Crock pot meals don't get much simpler than opening a few cans, chopping an onion, adding some seasoning and tossing some chicken on top.  And it just makes the kitchen smell so good.

Skillet Chicken Nachos

Nachos.  The epitome of a big messy pile of yum.  You know I love chips and salsa any chance I can get, and nachos are something Dave and I order often when we go out.  And these nachos let me bring that big messy pile of yum right to my kitchen.  Chunks of flavorful chicken mixed with beans, corn and sweet peppers, then topped with lots of melty cheese--and it all came together in less than 20 minutes.  I topped this with pickled jalapenos, sour cream and chopped scallions, and we dove right in, scooping this up onto tortilla chips.  I love the chunkiness of these nachos and the flavors are wonderful.  We ended up sharing these for dinner, but these would be perfect for a buffet, game night, or a tailgate party.

Baked Tacos

Holy. Crap.  We will never make tacos the "old"way again.  These were amazing.  The ground beef isn't just seasoned with taco mix, but refried beans and tomato sauce add a creamy texture.  Piled into shells and topped with cheese, these tacos then get baked up to perfection where the cheese gets melty and gooey and the shells soften just enough that they don't completely crack open on the first bite, letting all the taco fixin's inside plop out onto your plate.  Not only delicious, but these tacos would be perfect to make for a party taco bar--prefill the tacos with meat and cheese, then let guests gussy up their portable dish with taco sauce, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onions, olives--whatever you fancy.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chili

Well this one was a surprise.  A lot like a stew, this chili incorporates black beans and refried beans with tomatoes and salsa with the added texture and flavor from butternut squash, one of my favorite winter squashes.  We've gotten several in our winter CSA box and I'm always looking for new ways to use them.  Dave and I were both intrigued and really satisfied with how this turned out.  The squash lends a bit of sweetness and which goes well with the slight kick from the chili powder and salsa, which provide the traditional Mexican chili flavors and heat.  The liquid ends up creamy from the refried beans and the chunky vegetables and beans make it a traditional chili.  This is definitely a delicious new way to enjoy butternut squash and a twist on your regular vegetarian chili recipe.

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens

This light soup comes together pretty quick and has deep, rich flavor.  Perfect for a cold evening or a simple but satisfying lunch.  I ended up having this for lunch for a few days in a row and found that with a little bit of foccacia, my afternoon hunger cravings were mostly at bay.  This vegetarian soup would make a nice starter for a dinner party or even a simple lunch with friend when paired with some salad and crusty bread.  Clean, fresh flavors from the greens and tomato go nicely with the beans, and the whole thing is well seasoned and tasty.

Pizza Chili

Pizza. Chili.  Yes, that's two perfect dinner smooshed together to make a perfect meal.  A perfect Chili with lots of pizza flavor.  I made this when we had friends over and it was gobbled up with just enough left over for Dave to have lunch the next day.  We love a good chili and this one will certainly be in our regular chili rotation.  The mozzarella on top gets gooey and melty, just like a good piece of pizza.  I served it up with beer bread, which went perfectly, but any sort of crusty bread would work.

Roasted Beet Hummus

Dave and I get a winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box from a local farm (Springdell Farms in Littleton, MA), and it's been a really cool way to force myself to try things I wouldn't normally pick up at the farm stand and make something new and different.  So when our box came with a few beets, I knew I'd have a challenge ahead.  Never having enjoyed a beet before, I was at a loss because I really wanted to make something I would enjoy. And I really enjoy this hummus.  It's not super beet flavored, so it's a good introduction for those of you (like me) who aren't sure you'll fall in love with the beet.  The slightly nutty flavor of hummus gets enhanced from the roasted beets in a sweet, but subtle way.  Plus it makes a ton, so you can share with your friends and neighbors, (or in my case, a coworker).  I love the beautiful color and this hummus was a perfect match with some whole wheat crackers.  With that pretty pink hue, maybe this would make a nice appetizer for tomorrow's Valentine's dinner?

Chicken Corn Chili

This is quickly becoming on of our favorite chilis (I have quite the arsenal of chili recipes, so that's saying something).  It's also a great recipe to use up leftovers in a completely different way.  We'll have rotisserie chicken from time to time, and since there's only two of us, there is often a lot leftover so this recipe re-purposes the extra into a delicious, hearty and satisfying chili perfect for these frigid temperatures we've had hear in the northeast this last week or so.  There's a lot of good flavor in this and despite the can of green chiles and whole jalapeno, the heat is mild (but you can amp it up if you want a little more.  The cilantro and corn provide a fresh flavor that pairs well with the pinto beans and chicken.

Creamy Chicken Chili

Well, if I'm going to do a week of crock pot meals, you know you're going to get some chili from me.  And this chili is a little bit different, full of delicious flavor and, of course, easy to make.  The creamy sauce pairs well to cut the heat from the chiles and the chili powder, plus the chicken is a nice change from beef chili.  I made this recipe when my Dad came to visit and he liked it so much I sent him home with it so he could make a batch at home.  It's perfect for a chili evening or watching some playoff football (not that I particularly care about playoff football this year, sigh, but some people might).

Pork Burritos

Did you make pork for dinner last night as a nod for good luck in the New Year?  Maybe you roasted up a big beautiful pork loin.  Or maybe you went simple and fun and tried the Crock Pot Pulled Pork I posted last week.  Either way, I'll bet you have leftovers.  And here I am to share a new way to enjoy those leftovers so you don't feel like you're eating that same thing.  Shred it and wrap it up in a tortilla with rice, beans, cheese and veggies for a simple but delicious burrito that will have everyone in your house asking for more leftovers.  Great flavor, lots of different stuff to make this rival the restaurant burritos.  Even Dave said it was on par with some of his favorites from college.