Apparently adding my most recent favorite recipe at 2:30am is what I do when I work night shift…

 

Now, those who know me best know that I don’t cook often, and even when I do, rarely are my kitchen creations edible or tasty. But this…THIS  recipe was finally a success!

If there’s one thing I love about fall time back home in Vermont it’s when either Mom or Dad are cooking something up in the crock pot, making the whole house smell like yummy fall goodness (yes, that’s a phrase). It was a cold and rainy day here in Enid and I was inspired to cook something up for when Conor got home from work. I found this slow cooker recipe on pinterest and figured it looked easy enough and reminded me of a chilly fall day at home. I figured I couldn’t screw it up too much…. and man, am I glad I tried this one out.

It. Was. Delicious. And received great reviews from Conor!

The recipe originally called for strictly vegetarian, but I thought that some shredded chicken would be a great touch. Feel free to add it or keep it out, either way it’s great.

Slow Cooker Quinoa and Sweet Potato Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 cups diced sweet potato (about 1 large)
• (2 medium chicken breasts)
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup diced bell pepper
• 3 garlic gloves, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans
• 1 (28 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes
• 3-4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1/2 cup- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1-1 1/2 tbs chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Add all ingredients to crock pot.  At first it will look very watery, and thin. But, as the quinoa cooks it will expand and thicken up at about 3-3.5hour mark.
• Turn on high and cook for 4 hours
• Grill up the chicken breast. When cooled, shred or cut the chicken into small pieces. Add chicken at the 3-3.5hour mark.
• If too thick, feel free to add in another 1/2- 1 cup of water or broth
• Once you’ve reached the 4 hour mark, turn down to low and continue to cook until ready to serve.
• When serving up add some diced avocado on top (this was my favorite part!) You could also eat with tortilla chips if you wanted.

 

Picture from original recipe on the blog simplyquinoa.com