Harvest Chili

I love autumn time. When the weather begins to cool off, leaves turn color, and the pumpkins line the houses along the street I know it's time to eat chili. Here is an easy, and somewhat healthy recipe to satisfy your fall food cravings.

HARVEST CHILI

1 pound of extra lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large can of pinto beans
1 can of red kidney beans, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of Ro-tel brand tomatoes and green chiles
1 can of El Pato brand tomato sauce
1 can of stewed tomatoes, drained
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 pouch of taco seasoning
1 can of tomato sauce
1 t basil

optional ingredients:
cheese, grated
green onions, chopped
olives, chopped
sour cream

Brown the beef with half of the onions, peppers, and garlic in a large skillet. Drain the beef mix. Put the beef mix into a slow cooker. Add all of the other ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Spoon into bowls, top with cheese, green onions, olives, and a dollop of sour cream then serve.

Sweet Potato Chicken Corn Chowder

3 cups milk
1 cup Jiffy yellow corn muffin mix
3 T. butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced fine
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4 cans chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 " cubes
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve while still warm.

Zuppa Toscana

Every so often Rob and I get the chance to dine at Olive Garden. Almost every time we eat there Rob orders the Zuppa Toscana soup. I found the recipe for the soup and gave it a try, it was scrumptious and simple to make. It's the perfect heart-warming soup for an autumn evening.

ZUPPA TOSCANA
1 pound of mild Italian sausage links
1/2 package of bacon
1 onion, chopped
4 potatoes, chopped with skins left on
3 C of kale, chopped
3 cans of chicken broth
2 C heavy whipping cream

Place the sausage in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through. While the sausage is baking cook the bacon, place it on a paper towel, pat the grease off and then crumble it. Drain the excess grease out of the pan you used to cook the bacon then saute the onions until clear in the same pan. Remove the sausage from the oven, pat of excess grease, then cut into bite sized chunks. In a slow cooker place all the ingredients and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve hot and enjoy. Yields 6 servings.

Stephanie's Corn Chowder

My sister-in-law Stephanie makes a mean chowder, corn chowder that is. This was fairly easy to cook and tasted so warm and lightly rich. Great soup for a fall afternoon.

STEPHANIE'S CORN CHOWDER
4 C potatoes, peeled and diced
1 C carrots, diced or grated
1/2 C celery, diced
1/4 C onion, chopped
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 C milk
1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
1 bag of frozen corn, thawed
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated

Cut up vegetables. Place in a large pot. Pour water over the vegetables until just covered. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour to make a paste then add the milk to it. Stir until a thick, smooth sauce forms. Add the cheese to the sauce and stir. Pour sauce into the vegetable pot and stir until mixed. Add corn then stir and serve while still warm.

White Chicken Chili

I always fall for fall time. I adore the rich, earthy colors, the nutty spices that are used in the kitchen, as well as the cooler weather. One of my favorite fall foods is chili. This year I decided to try something new and make a batch of white chili. I have to admit I was nervous when I started. I found a recipe, made a few improvisations, and waited to see if it would turn out. Luckily, it did!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 T olive oil
1 T garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 cans white beans, rinsed & drained
2 cans of green chiles
1 t chili powder
1 t oregano
1 t salt
1 t white pepper
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of corn, drained
1 C sour cream
1/2 C of heavy cream

In a skillet fry the onions and half of the garlic in the olive oil until clear and fragrant. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the sour cream and heavy cream, in a crock pot. Cook on the low setting for 3-4 hours. Right before you want to serve the chili add the sour cream and heavy cream and stir well heating all the way through to prevent lumps. Serves up to 10.