Pumpkin chili

I made This pumpkin chili tonight. It was simple and delicious, you can let it cook in the crockpot which is always a fabulous thing. I didn't get it pulled together that fast today since I worked all day and Simmered it on the stove for about 45 min instead. I think the crockpot would've given it more time to bring the flavors out but I thought it was still great, my kids liked it too.  I added a scoop of cottage cheese to cool it off, boost the protein, and I like the creaminess it adds like sour cream would.  We added some butternut squash on the side and everyone else got yummy cornbread, that I had to pass on. :)

Oh and I used ground turkey and one serving has 250 calories and 24 grams of protein (without the cottage cheese)

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15-ounce each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey or 1 pound round steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (15-ounce) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil until hot and rippling over medium or medium-high heat. Add the round steak (if using already cooked turkey, proceed to adding the vegetables) and brown the pieces lightly. Transfer the meat to a 5-quart slow cooker, leaving oil in the skillet. Add the onion and yellow pepper to the skillet and saute until barely tender, 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute longer. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

I also made these little quinoa patties last night that I thought were great.  I used coconut oil instead of olive oil, and I got 13 patties, coming in at around 110 calories per patty.  

-Nikki