Crockpot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

This is ridiculously good!  Three out of five of us love it, the other two (otherwise known as my picky 5 year olds, cough cough) wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole, but that's how things roll at my house 9 times out of 10, ha.  Hands down favorite chili recipe I've had in a while.  The crazy thing is, you can't even taste the pumpkin, but it adds this cozy warm flavor to chili that is so unexpectedly perfect.  I tweaked the original recipe some and here's what I'm left with...

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

1 c. steel cut oats
5-6 c. water

Combine in crockpot.  Turn crockpot on low just before going to bed.  Cook on low overnight.  If you know that your crockpot runs fairly hot, even on low, you'll want closer to 6 cups of water.  It will be ready for you in the morning!  Top with fresh fruit, dried fruit, ground flax, chopped almonds or walnuts, stir in 1 T. of almond or peanut butter, drizzle with honey, etc.  The options are endless!  Or, for a fun topping, add walnuts, raisins, almonds, flax, chia, etc. to food processor and pulse.  Sprinkle on top of oatmeal and enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

A friend shared this recipe last week and it sounded so yummy and easy!  I don’t make two meals for my family each night as my girls really do try (and like) most of the recipes I make.  But tonight’s dish combined several ingredients and I didn’t think my girls would appreciate the flavors.  So, I made them a vegetable stir-fry instead.  I was very wrong as they loved it and wanted seconds!  I tell you this to encourage you on your journey of feeding your kids nutritious meals.  Never underestimate what they will eat and keep trying new foods each week.   It’s a journey for them as well, and I bet you will look back in a year and see how big their rainbow of colors food chart has gotten because you kept trying!

Ingredients:
4 small to medium green, red, or yellow sweet peppers
1 cup cooked brown rice

1 15 ounce can chili beans or baked beans (we recommended Eden's Chili Beans)

1 15 ounce can or two 8-ounce cans no-salt-added tomato sauce

1/3
cup finely chopped onion

Chili powder (optional)

Directions:

Remove tops, membranes, and seeds from sweet peppers. Chop enough tops to make 1/3 cup and set aside. If necessary, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper so they sit flat. In a medium bowl stir together rice and undrained beans.  Spoon mixture into the peppers. Pour tomato sauce into the bottom of a slow cooker and add reserved chopped pepper and onion to the sauce. Place peppers, filled side up, in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 6-1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.  To serve, transfer peppers to serving plate and cut in half, if desired. Spoon tomato sauce over peppers and sprinkle with chili powder if desired.

enjoy-

leanne

Note: (This recipe was adapted from the Skinny Slow-Cooker Better Homes and Garden Magazine.)

Crockpot Taco Beans

4 cans beans (I use 2 black beans, 2 pinto beans)

Drain and rinse beans.  Lightly spray crockpot with olive oil spray.  Add beans, 2 cups of water, and taco seasoning.  Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.  You are really just warming, not cooking.  I do not know how these would fare in a crockpot all day.  You may end up with burnt or refried beans, oops.  It is best to fix these when you will be around to monitor the water level, as in my experience it does decrease with time. 

Serve in place of taco meat.  On whole wheat tortillas, Ezekiel wraps (found at Whole Foods in freezer section), scoop with whole grain chips, etc.  Add traditional taco toppings, lettuce, tomato, salsa, guacamole, etc.  Could also serve over brown rice, or with brown rice in a wrap, etc.  Options are endless!  Leftovers are even better, as you can change up what you do with them throughout the week.