One thing I love about the winter season is that I can adjust our family meals towards more hearty and homestyle recipes (the watermelon and feta salad is officially retired until next summer!). I’m a huge one-pot meal gal, and I never grow tired of chili. My newest, surefire and family-favorite chili recipe is this Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili.
To me, there is nothing better than a one-dish meal that has protein and veggies all in one. This chili is so easy, and you can prepare it in a crock-pot or dutch oven. You pretty much can’t mess it up. But there is a secret ingredient that your tots will surely approve of, so keep reading for the reveal.
This recipe comes from the brilliant duo behind Our Best Bites. I find a lot of great recipes on this site, and I love that it’s run by two gals balancing life with kids and running a business. I know that their dishes are truly kid tested and mother approved.
I pretty much followed the recipe, but I used only red bell pepper, and I omitted the jalapeños completely. I know, I know, how can you have chili without them? But I promise it was still amazing. I might try adding them when my littlest is a wee bit older since she currently will refuse to eat anything with even an ounce of heat. I also threw in an extra can of black beans for extra protein, and my kids just love them.
So, that secret ingredient? Well, there are three actually. This recipe calls for canned pumpkin, cocoa powder and cinnamon! Trust me it totally works. Just make sure you buy real pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) and that you use unsweetened cocoa powder. Delicious and nutritious. Visit Our Best Bites for the full chili recipe. Enjoy!