Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

When the temperatures start cooling and daylight ends earlier, my culinary thoughts turn to soups, stew, and chili.  Is there nothing better on a cold night than a hot bowl of goodness? We enjoy the spiciness of a good chili.  One of the good things about chili is that it seems to improve with age as the spices blend together.  It's a great one-pot meal to make on a weekend and have the leftovers during the week.  We especially like the leftovers on a baked potato, topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese and other toppings.  Yum!

Debbie, a food board friend of mine, told me about a chili she makes that has no meat in it.  The meat-substitute is quinoa and sweet potatoes.  I'm not a big quinoa fan but I was intrigued and had to try it.  We loved it!  It's amazing how much this tastes like it has meat in it!  Who knew I had inner vegetarian tendencies? Thank you, Debbie, for the tip!

I've had these pumpkin tureens for years.  Of course, my Hubbers swore he never saw them before. Silly man!  But I do have other dishes he's yet to see!
 

This chili was very easy to make and uses one pot, which is an added bonus (who needs to wash more dishes?) While it was simmering on the stove I made a pan of cornbread.  With my Okie background, corn bread, slathered with butter and honey, is the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of chili!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dried quinoa
4 teaspoons lime juice

Heat a large heavy bottom pot with the oil over medium high heat.

Add the sweet potato and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened.

Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin and salt and stir to combine.

Add the stock, tomatoes, black beans and quinoa and bring the mixture to a boil.  Stir everything to combine. 

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Cook for 30-40 minutes until the quinoa is fully cooked and the sweet potatoes are soft and the entire mixture is slightly thick like a chili.

Add the lime juice and remove the pot from the heat.  Season with salt as needed.

If desired, garnish with cheese, avocado and olives.

Boilermaker Chili

Football season is winding down to an end.  As always, I will have some withdrawals once the last play is done. I love my football!  I have to admit I kind of checked out of football a month back when my Forty-Niners were eliminated. Oh, I still watch, I'm just not glued to my seat for every play. All activity will grind to a stop in our home when the Super Bowl kickoff happens!

We have hosted many football gatherings over the years.  I like to serve soup or chili at them.  They make a lot and can be made ahead of time, which leaves more time for football watching. A girl has to have her priorities, being stuck in the kitchen during a game is not one of them!

This recipe was originally posted on the All Recipes web site.  The  poster is a Purdue Boilermaker fan, thus the name.  I've adapted it to our tastes. This makes a lot of chili, enough for a big crowd or for leftovers. Like most chili, it tastes better the longer it cooks so I usually make it the day ahead. It freezes wonderfully, too. For an easy dinner I thaw some chili and use it to top a baked potato.

Chili, cheddar cheese & Fritos. Yum!

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, consider adding this chili to your menu!

Boilermaker Chili

2 pounds ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans "chili beans in a spicy sauce", drained
1 (15 ounce) can "chili beans in a spicy sauce", UNDRAINED
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (she doesn't use)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add to taste)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar

 

Garnishes:
1 bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble tthe ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

Pour in the chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.


I don't buy many canned items; tomatoes and beans being one of the exceptions.