Crock-Pot Crazy Pineapple Chili (Courtesy of Two Healthy Kitchens)

 •  Freezable  •  Make Ahead  •  Gluten Free  •

Prep Time10 min.

Cook Time4-8 hours

Total Time10 minutes

Serves About 10 cups

    

Ingredients

·         20 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (bulk, or links with casings removed)

·         1 medium onion, chopped to equal about 2 cups

·         1 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits in juice (divided)

·         2 28-ounce cans seasoned diced tomatoes (such as Dei Fratelli)

·         1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 6-ounce can tomato paste

·         1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

·         4 teaspoons ground cumin

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         shredded reduced-fat cheese, reduced-fat sour cream and hot sauce (such as Tapatío) for serving, if desired

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Directions

1.    In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook sausage and onions, stirring to crumble sausage. Once sausage is cooked through, drain off any fat and transfer the sausage and onions to your slow cooker.

2.    Drain the pineapple, reserving both the juice and the fruit separately. Add the juice to the slow cooker. Cover and store the fruit in the refrigerator (it will be added toward the end of cooking).

3.    Add tomatoes, black beans, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and garlic to the slow cooker.

4.    Stir everything to combine.

5.    Cook on low (6-8 hours), adding reserved pineapple during last hour or two of cooking, or on high (4-5 hours), adding pineapple during last ½ hour - hour of cooking.

6.    Serve topped with cheese, sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Pineapple: The texture of the cooked pineapple is completely controlled by when you add it. We prefer to add it toward the end of cooking time so that it's still fairly firm. If you prefer it to be more melded into the chili or you simply won't be able to add it toward the end of cooking, then you can toss it in at the beginning – it will be cooked down and much less pronounced in texture, but still very good.

Beans or no beans: If you don't want beans in your chili, you may certainly leave them out, and can also increase the amount of meat. We love the texture and the health benefits of the beans, but feel free to try it different ways!

Spice: This recipe is intentionally fairly mild and kid-friendly. If you'd like more spice, you can increase the chili powder and/or sub in spicy Italian turkey sausage. Perhaps the best way to make it versatile for different palates, though, is simply to pass hot sauce at the table so everyone can season to taste.

Make-ahead: You can prepare the meat and onions the evening before, and then refrigerate until you assemble your ingredients in the slow cooker. You can also make the chili entirely in advance and freeze it in large batches.

Recipe from Two Healthy Kitchens
https://twohealthykitchens.com/crock-pot-crazy-pineapple-chili/

Buffalo Chicken Soup

I was catching up on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Soup in the crockpot caught my eye.  I was oddly intrigued trying to imagine what buffalo chicken wings would taste like in a soup. I made a mental note that I should try and make it sometime and for the life of me, I couldn't find it again when I wanted to make it for a potluck at work.  So I did what I always do... summoned up my magic Google powers, read about a dozen different recipes and put the best of what I read together to make my own version that was pretty dang tasty. Oh, and I added the secret, totally white trash but delicious ingredient:  Velveeta. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
diced carrots (about a cup)
diced celery (about a cup)
diced onions (about 1/4 cup)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 cans of white meat chicken- could add more
(I'm going to use rotisserie chicken next time I think)
1 package of cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
1/4 of Frank's Hot Sauce (or more to taste)
1 big package (48oz) chicken stock
Velveeta queso blanco, about 8 oz or 1/3 the chunk

Rinse and prepare vegetables. (My Home Chef recipes always start like that so I thought I'd throw it in.  Just in case you were going to use dirty whole vegetables or something.) Place in crock pot along with chicken stock, cans of chicken (and chicken juice) and pretty much everything else on that list-- nothing special except cut the Velveeta up into cubes.  Cook on high 4 hours or low for 8, stirring occasionally to incorporate cheeses as they melt. You can top with shaved carrots, shredded cheese, and/or drips of Frank's to garnish.

Chicken and Rice Soup

This is the foundation for post-Thanksgiving Turkey and rice soup but works just as well with rotisserie chicken remnants.   Recently my local grocery was ransacked in anticipation of snow and the rotisserie chickens were no where to be found so I started with a couple of chicken breasts on the bone in the crock pot. It turned out great too.  The concept is the same and the secret ingredient is cracked black pepper. Lots of it. The rest is pretty simple but delicious.

Boil carcass to make your stock. Add celery and onion (big pieces) for flavor. This is where I use the leafy celery since it’s just for flavor. Boil until it’s coming apart and pour into a new pot through a colander. Pick through the solids and chop up the good white meat you find. Throw the rest of yuckky stuff and big pieces of celery and onion away.  Note: my aversion to “gick” limits me to white meat only in the soup. If you feel differently, it’s your soup. Include it!

If you have time and want to save on calories, cover and chill overnight. Skim the fat from the top before proceeding.

Basic ingredients:
Celery- chopped. About a cup
Carrots (a cup or so- I like to use baby carrots to make round bits but any kind will do)
Finely diced onion- about 1/4 C
1 1/2  C Rice or so (any kid- white is my go to but wild or brown also works)
Garlic powder
Cracked black pepper- never have measured... 1 Tbs?
1 Bay Leaf  (maybe 2)
Chicken buillion- a cube or two depending on how flavorful the stock was. (I prefer Knorrs)
Water

Start with the rice and bring the broth to a boil. Add water as needed. I would say at least two cups. Maybe 6 by the time It’s all said and done depending on how much gets soaked up by the rice. Boil for about 10 minutes and add the chopped vegetables and spices.

Continue cooking over low heat until rice and vegetables are  tender and you’re ready to serve. I like to add crackers.

Enjoy!