Thursday, October 1, 2015

Not so chili-like chili...


Not to sound like a broken record... but something in me comes alive in the fall. I don't know what it is - but I love pretty much everything about it. Today has felt more like fall than any other day this year so needless to say... my heart is pretty happy.

The weather is a little cooler so I wore boots for the first time! I also stopped by Yankee Candle and bought a couple of fall-smelling candles (Harvest and Apple Pumpkin, in case you were curious...) AND, I decided to make a pot of one of the soups that I blogged about a few weeks ago. Let me tell you about it...

Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili

1. This soup is delicious but I didn't get that much of a "chili-vibe" from it. I actually looked up the definition of chili to see if this qualifies because I was convinced it didn't. According to the Merriam-Webster definition chili is "a spicy dish made of ground beef, hot peppers or chili pepper, and usually beans." So... I was wrong - this actually fit the definition of chili exactly except for the beans part. Which is why this recipe threw me off. There are no beans.
2. It's technically "paleo." I don't go for all that crazy (unsustainable) diet mumbo jumbo... But if you're into the paleo thing - this recipe is for you.
3. It has ground beef in it. I've probably cooked with beef once in the last 3 years. Today is time numero dos - but it added something different to my normally white meat filled diet and I was pleased!
4. It also has ground turkey in it. The recipe called for ground chicken but that was $3 more expensive so I opted for turkey instead. #cheapo
5. It called for goat cheese but I decided that I didn't need the extra calories so I left it out and it tasted just fine.
6. It also called for avocado - I decided I did need those extra calories so I left it in and it was wonderful. (Just remembered I forgot to add the green onions - dang, that would have been good!)
7. It's called "jalapeño popper" chili but the only thing reminiscent of a jalapeño popper is the chopped up jalapeños I put in it... No cream cheese. No bacon. But still pretty fantastic.
8. It's a slow cooker recipe. I have a love hate relationship with slow cooker recipes... But again, if you're into that kind of thing - this is a recipe for you!


Anyway, I'd highly recommend this chili-like soup thing. It's meaty (my dad would love it), multi-dimensional, healthy, and interesting (the good kind of interesting.) You should make it!