Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Quinoa

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This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com

I don’t think I’ve ever made two pots of chili exactly the same way. It’s what I love most about this dish. Brown the meat add the ingredients and let heat and time mingle all the flavors. Chili is a go-to dish at our house. It’s hearty, it feeds a crowd, it cooks all day while I’m multitasking and it’s delicious. Huge win!

You can adjust the spice to suit your gang. We like it to have a bit of a kick with out feeling the burn. The Quinoa makes it super hearty and rich. If you want to make it a bit healthier you can replace the pork and beef with ground turkey. Just remember, turkey does not have the flavor that red meat has so if you use turkey you may want to up your spice game or add other diced vegetables to add flavor.

I love sweet potatoes and roasted butternut squash. The sweet potatoes in this chili add a sweet starch that complements the spice and balances the flavor. No need to precook the quinoa. Simply add it to the pot and, as the ingredients cook, so will the quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, diced (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 15-ounce can kidney beans
• 12-ounce beer (I used an IPA; any dark or amber beer would be great too!) or substitute additional low-sodium beef stock
• 2 – 3 cups low-sodium beef stock

For serving: flat leaf parsley, avocado, shredded cheese and or crumbled queso fresco, tortilla chips, and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high.
• Add the beef and pork, onion, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
• Cook and stir, breaking up the meat as you go, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and cumin, then transfer to the bottom a large slow cooker. (or add remaining ingredients into current Dutch oven)
• Add the chopped sweet potatoes, quinoa, beer, 2 cups beef stock, crushed tomatoes, black beans and kidney beans.
• Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
• Stir in additional beef stock if the chili is thicker than you would like (I added about 1/2 cup extra).
• Serve warm with desired toppings.

Let us know if you tried our chili.  What are your gang’s favorite toppings?