My Recipe for "Quarantine Chili"

Yesterday I decided to make what I’m going to call “Quarantine Chili.” Now what is the recipe for Quarantine Chili you might ask? Well pretty much you take whatever fresh veggies or meat you have in your fridge that you worry may go to waste soon and throw them into a big crock pot of chili before they go bad. Waste not, want not!

Now for my chili I started with my typical chili “base”:

2 cans of tomato sauce
1 can of red beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of lentils (rinsed and drained)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons of jarred garlic
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

To that I then added all the things I wanted to use up - this will vary depending on what you have in your fridge:

1 lb of cooked ground lamb (lamb is definitely an unusual choice for chili. I had originally planned to make lamb stuffed peppers with it, but by using it in chili I am able to stretch it farther and get more meals out of it… And surprisingly lamb in chili is just fine! I was worried it would taste weird but it’s still great)
a lot of carrots (we had a bag of carrots that have been in the fridge for awhile and were close to being done. I wanted to use them up and not go to waste so I added them to the chili… it was definitely heavy on the carrots but I’m glad we used them up)
handfuls of spinach (we have a big container of spinach that will be getting wet and smelly soon… better use some of it up!)
green pepper (the ones I was originally going to make the stuffed lamb peppers with)
a large onion (that one has been hanging out on the counter for awhile…)

Then combine all ingredients in a large Crock Pot and put on high for several hours until it’s cooked through and ready. We’ll be eating this for dinner for two nights and then I will portion out and freeze the rest to eat later.

Definitely be aware of what you’re using - you don’t want to use any ingredients are actually spoiling (very bad idea!) - but by using up what good ingredients you have by making a healthy, hearty chili you will not let your precious groceries go to waste and will make something nutritious to feed your family during this time.

Stay healthy friends!

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Protein + Fiber Packed Turkey Chili Recipe {and Instapot Giveaway!}

It's been cold and snowy here in New England these last two weeks (like 3 Nor'easters in two weeks snowy!), so what better way to warm up than with a bowl of hearty and healthy chili! This recipe was done in our crockpot but could be made in less time in an Instapot. Don't have an Instapot? You're in luck - I've teamed up with several other bloggers to give one away! {Scroll down to enter the givewaway}

This chili is super easy to make and can be adjusted to your taste with whatever veggies you'd like to add. I often make chili as an excuse to use up all the extra veggies we have in the fridge - once all the flavors meld together you can hide just about any vegetable in there (perfect for picky toddlers or husbands). While not in this current batch, I've often added things like mushrooms, spinach, sweet potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, squash, etc. As far as using canned beans and tomato sauce I always buy store-brand organic varieties when I can - they tend to have less additives and salt than non-organic and are cheaper than the name brand ones!

Ingredients

1 lb of lean ground turkey (can also use lean ground beef if you prefer)
2 cans of low sodium tomato sauce
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can of lentils (adds a lot of protein and you won't even notice them mixed in with the ground meat!)
2/3 cup of frozen corn (using frozen veggies is a great shortcut)
1/2 cup of frozen chopped peppers
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon chopped jarred garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric (turmeric has great anti-inflammatory properties)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese and/or crackers to garnish

Directions

Brown ground meat in a skillet, pouring off excess fat.
Add meat and all remaining ingredients (except for garnishes) to crockpot.
Cook on low in crockpot for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until veggies are soft and flavors have melded.
Garnish with shredded cheese and crackers, if desired.

Looking for a way to make this yummy recipe faster? Use an Instapot!
I've teamed up with several other bloggers to give one away to a lucky follower. Enter below for a chance to win - good luck!

Instapot Giveaway!

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Venison Pie

This simple, hearty meal is basically a variation of traditional Pork Pie. The recipe isn't exact and doesn't have to be.. I generally don't make anything the same way twice and always go by what looks good. You can follow along the recipe for a general idea but feel free to incorporate substitutions and make it your own.

Our family got a total of three deer this year and so venison has been on heavy rotation. We've been finding ways to sneak it into lots of different meals and this Venison Pie has been a favorite!

Venison Pie

Prep time 50 mins | Cook time 30 mins | Serves up to 8

Ingredients

1 lb of ground venison
1 small onion, chopped (or about 1/3 cup chopped frozen onions)
1/2 tsp of Bell's Seasoning
1/2 cup frozen corn
3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
pie crust mix (I use classic boxed Jiffy Pie Crust Mix)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Start a pot of water boiling on a back burner. Meanwhile brown ground venison, onion, and Bell's Seasoning in a skillet, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Once browned add frozen corn, cover and simmer for about 30 mins. While that's simmering peel, chop, boil, and mash your potatoes.
Mix mashed potatoes and browned meat mixture together and fill prepared pie crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for about 30 mins. This meal goes great with baked beans or ployes.

Feel free to add more veggies or tweak the recipe however you like, sometimes I add mushrooms or shredded carrots to the mix.

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