Shockingly Good Pumpkin Chili

Seriously. Yes. There's pumpkin in this chili recipe. Why "shockingly good?" Because...who actually expects pumpkin in chili to be good, right?

This is exactly what my family considers "weird" cooking, so I made it and took it into work. They were a little leery about pumpkin in the chili, but it got nothing but big thumbs up. The pumpkin is very subtle and makes the chili very creamy. Plus, it's a nice nutrient boost. It's very hearty, meaty, and filling, and a 1-cup serving is only 4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus. I was ravenous at lunch, so I ate two cups for 9 PointsPlus and it totally hit the spot.

The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a nice, smokey heat. If you've never tried them before, try 'em for this recipe. Just package the rest of the peppers and sauce up in a sandwich baggy and freeze for your next recipe...or for when you make this again.

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Shockingly Good Pumpkin Chili

2lbs of lean ground beef (93/7)
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
8oz sliced baby Bella mushrooms
14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
15oz can tomato sauce
15oz canned pumpkin
1 cup water or broth
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, plus one heaping tsp of sauce
2 Tbls chili powder
1 Tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbls cumin
1 Tbls coriander
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet on the stove until it's cooked through. Drain and transfer to a big slow cooker.

Add in remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Alternatively, mix in a big pot and cook over medium heat on the stove for a couple of hours.

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11 servings | 4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus per serving

Easy Slow Cooker Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup

I have been in a total food rut lately. Looking back over my grocery bills, I can see that at least one meal each day has consisted of a pre-packaged frozen meal. While they've been organic, healthy meals like Amy's Kitchen and Evol, to do them every single day really puts a dent in the budget. So, I've been kicking myself in the rear and trying to get myself back in the habit of making actual meals again. Cooking for one is hard, but I'm making sure I have plenty of containers on hand so I can take the leftovers and create my own frozen meals. This recipe saved me massive dollars in the pre-packaged food department - even using all organic ingredients.

BTW - I made this and took it in for my coworkers to try. It got total rave reviews. It's one of the finest soups I've ever made!

Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup
5 Weight Watchers Points+ for a 1 cup serving

8 cups beef broth, divided
1lb ground beef (I used 85/15)
28oz diced tomatoes in tomato juice
6oz tomato paste
1 cup frozen chopped onions (or one large onion, chopped)
10oz sliced mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles

Directions
Place all ingredients in large slow cooker, except for 1 cup of beef broth and the uncooked macaroni noodles. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in uncooked macaroni noodles and reserved beef broth. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

* No need to cook the beef ahead of time - it cooks in the soup

* Make it gluten free by using gluten free beef broth and gluten free macaroni noodles, like Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta. 

* Fresh is always better, but you can use 2 Tbls dried basil in place of fresh basil.

DIY Lunch: Chicken Marsala

I love my slow cooker. I just want to get that out of the way. It's made my life so easy when it comes to making lunch/dinners ahead of time. And really good lunch/dinners I might ahead.

I've never made chicken marsala before, but it had minimal ingredients, so I figured it was worth a shot. And it was.

Easy, fast, and really tasty. I packaged the chicken marsala with some brown rice and frozen broccoli, and I now have four tasty meals for this week that came out to less than $2 per meal (and 10 Points Plus for those on Weight Watchers).

Not bad, eh? Not bad.


Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
Recipe lightly adapted from Betty Crocker

Non-stick cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 6oz jars of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sweet Marsala (or 1/2 cup chicken broth)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried parsley (optional)

1/4 cup water
2 Tbls cornstarch

2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
1lb bag frozen broccoli


Spray the insert of a 3 or 4qt with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle oil in the bottom of the insert and drop in garlic. Place chicken breasts over top of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in mushrooms, sprinkle on parsley, and pour Marsala over it all. Pop the lid on and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place on a plate. In small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth; stir into liquid in cooker. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.

In a microwave safe container with compartments, layer the rice first, then chicken (tear/slice chicken into pieces), and ladle sauce over top. Package broccoli in a compartment separate from chicken. Don't put the lid on until all ingredients are cool. Freeze. When ready to serve, take the lid off and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until heated through.