Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sweet Potato Chili w/Cornbread Croutons




Well I didn't win the chili cook-off in my department at work today...but I did get 2nd place...out of 4 people. So I know that isn't a shining endorsement of my chili but I'm telling you, it's good. Rich and meaty with some spice rounded out with the addition of sweet potatoes and finished with a hint of nutmeg to give it a nice "fall" taste.

I topped it with cornbread croutons which is just your favorite cornbread recipe (mine comes from a little blue box, don't judge me! I'm not actually Southern :)) made in a larger pan so it comes out thinner and more dense, slice into cubes and then put in the oven on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until the cubes crisp up.

Ryan's Sweet Potato Chili

1-1.5 lbs. meat (I’ve used beef stew meat and boneless pork ribs, could use just about anything that holds up well for slow cooking)
1 poblano pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 med white onion
2 strips bacon
3-4 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on how much you like it)
2 tomatillos (optional)
2 med sweet potatoes, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes (regular or the kind made for chili with spices added)
1 can great northern white beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 12oz bottle of dark beer, I used a recent favorite Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Ale
Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, nutmeg

-Season meat with salt, pepper, and chili powder overnight or for a few hours then chop into bite sized pieces
-Dice peppers, onion and tomatillos into small pieces or chop in food processor with garlic
-Cut bacon into small pieces
-Over med-high heat, combine bacon, chopped veggies and garlic in large stock pot
-Add meat to brown, does not need to cook all the way through
-Reduce heat to low and add beer and enough water to cover the meat and veggies in the pot
-Add about 2 tsp. each of salt, pepper, cumin, & chili powder – more or less depending on your taste, add a bit of cayenne -pepper, hot sauce or both for heat if you like your chili hotter
-Cover and simmer for about an hour (longer is fine too)
-Meat should be cooked through and tender by this point, remove lid and add the beans, canned tomatoes and sweet potatoes
-Add a sprinkle of nutmeg and cook slowly over low heat until chili thickens and comes together, about 3-4 hours

3 comments:

ErinsFoodFiles said...

This sounds great! And thanks for the cornbread crouton tip! You should have done that slow-cooker chili cook-off a while back!

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