My Favorite Chili recipes for fall.

It’s officially fall… as of, I think, 9:30pm last night if you’re someone who gets technical about it.

For me, fall = chili season!

Of course, chili is good in the winter, too (honestly, it’s good all year long, but you get it).

My tastes and diet have changed over the years, and so have the chili recipes I’ve turned to. But I thought I’d share them ALL here in case you’re looking for something to whip up this weekend.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili | Vegetarian, Vegan

This recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking was the first meatless chili I ever made, and it’s delicious! I was skeptical about the sweet potatoes, but they soak up all the spices, and it’s so good. The recipe says it’s vegetarian, but it’s easily vegan, depending on the toppings — you could easily use vegan cheese, skip the sour cream, etc.

Turkey & Bean Chili

This chili is from Martha Stewart. is the first chili I ever made! I’ve made it countless times because it’s so yummy. Of course, in pure Martha fashion, it has a few different ingredients, but the payoff is worth it. If you get creative, you could make this a meatless chili.

Spicy Chorizo Chili | Paleo

10+ years ago, I went Paleo for about three months. In general, I enjoyed the experience, and I really liked finding recipes that fit my diet and tasted delicious. I found this recipe online (but it’s no longer there!) and made it one night when I had some friends over. They were a little skeptical when I said it was “Paleo friendly” but pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of grass-fed beef
• 2 fresh chorizo sausage links, casings removed (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (omit if you want the chili less spicy)
• 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of Rotel, spicy was used, but you can limit heat by using mild
• 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon of cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• avocado, red onion, and cilantro optional for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium skillet, brown off beef and chorizo. Drain and toss into a crock pot

In the same skillet, add 1 tsp of fat and cook the onions and garlic just until the onion gets a bit of color. If you like, you can skip this step and just throw it into the crock pot. I like giving the onions a bit of color before putting them in the crock pot.

Add remaining ingredients, stir together, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6. Garnish with diced avocado, minced red onion, and cilantro.

John Legend’s Chili

Before I knew Chrissy Teigen was problematic, I bought her cookbooks (and a lot of her kitchen crap from Target!). One recipe I’ve made several times is John Legend’s Chili, which is put in one of the cookbooks as part of a Frito Pie Bar. I once did the entire Frito Pie Bar at work for a coworker’s going away party. This recipe is unique, but wow, it’s delicious. You could easily make it vegetarian by subbing the meat, too!

Cincinnati Chili | Vegetarian

Okay, if you’ve never been to Cincinnati, you won’t understand it but this is a controversial choice. Cincinnati is home to Skyline chili, and their chili has a unique flavor. I will admit, upon first taste, I didn’t like it. But, I came to love it, and well, this recipe tastes REAL similar. I found this recipe on Pinterest and was surprised at how much I liked it. It tastes just like the spaghetti and chili at Skyline (even though it’s a vegetarian version)!

Lentil Chili | Vegan

I just made this one a few weeks ago! I love that there’s no fake meat in this one, just beans and veggies. There are also instructions for using a crock pot, so that made it even easier!

Butternut Squash & White Bean Chili | Vegan

This is a recipe I haven’t tried yet, but I wanted to include it because we need room to grow, right? This sounds so hearty and rich, but yet so easy!

Okay, what are some of your go-to chili recipes? And, do you make cornbread on the side?

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