Redo Indian Summer Chili, by Diane

 

This snowstorm I decided I wanted a pot of chili, and I created this hybrid version of my decades-long fave Indian Summer Chili. It is more robust in the flavors, not as sweet, and honestly the best flavor combo of chili to come out of this kitchen in a long time! YUM.

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

1 tbsp EVOO

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups sweet rainbow peppers, chopped

1 15 oz can sweet corn, drained

1 15 oz can bean trio, drained (whole foods has this- pinto black and kidney bean mix)

1 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup smoky bbq sauce

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp Tony Chacere's (or enough until salted and spicy- the GOAT)

2 tsp Balti seasoning

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, brown the beef into crumbles, drain partway and set aside.

2. Use the remaining liquid from the beef, add EVOO, and brown onions until charred. Add garlic in the last minute and brown as well. 

3. Remove from pot and cook peppers in the liquid until soft, then add back the meat and onions.

4. Add remaining ingredients and let bubble, then simmer for at least one hour. Adjust seasoning to taste. The longer this cooks the better it is, and always better the next day!

Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken & Veggies, by Cheryl

I wasn't sure how everyone would love the spices in this chicken dish, but it was SO good! We gobbled it up and the flavor was amazing. I would definitely make this again as it was pretty easy and quick to prepare. YUM!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 tbsp za'atar 

2 tsp sumac

1 tsp sweet paprika

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 lemons, juiced

extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup

Chicken & Veggies:

5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces (I used red potatoes, cut in half)

5 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and cut into thick half moons

salt and pepper

8 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs and drumsticks

Directions: 

1) Preheat the oven to 425.

2) Make the garlic za'atar sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the spices, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. 

3) Arrange the veggies on a large sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 3-4 tbsp of sauce over the veggies and mix well with your hands so they're coated. Spread them without overlapping.

4) Pat the chicken dry and loosen the skin by gently sliding beneath the skin with your finger, separating the skin and the meat. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides and underneath the skins. Season underneath the skins with the sauce. 

5) Nestle the chicken into the veggies. Drizzle any remaining sauce on top of the chicken pieces. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until the skin starts to brown and crisp. 

6) Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. 

Candied Roasted Chestnuts, by Diane

 

This recipe is by @veganbunnyelle, and I thought it would be a cool take on one of my fave winter snacks. It is possible I got a bad batch of chestnuts, because the skins wouldn't peel off the meat itself even though the shells did, but these tasted awful. So, maybe another batch?! Yuck.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp neutral oil

1 tbsp rock sugar (like 10 chunks) (she says on her recipe you can use white sugar if you don't have this)

1 lb chestnuts, scored in an x (see her recipe)

Water

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven or large pot with lid, heat oil over medium heat and add sugar. 

2. Stir continuously until sugar turns amber and melts.

3. Add chestnuts, stir continuously until popping sound slows around 2-3 min.

4. Add water to cover the chestnuts, cover with lid and cook for 25 min on medium heat. 

5. Remove lid and stir, cook with lid off until water completely evaporates. 

6. Enjoy warm or chilled.

Girl Dinners, by Diane

 

I have been so into girl dinners/lunches, the idea of throwing a bunch of snacks on a plate as a meal. It's so freakin easy and can be planned or clean out the fridge at the end of the week. I'm posting this as a recipe because I feel like I've nailed the key to making these successful- make them visually pleasing and make sure you have a rough macro formula so they are actually filling. 

Here's the formula and some ideas:

Healthy fats (to keep you full)- think olives of all kinds, hummus, nut butters, and dips with olive oils or greek yogurt

Proteins (also to keep you full)- think rolled lunch meat, soft/hard boiled eggs with toppings (I love chili oil or everything bagel seasoning), turkey pepperoni

Snack items: different cheeses, crackers

Veggies: different colors look more pleasing, I love raw rainbow carrots and rainbow peppers or snap peas and celery, raw broccoli, or could be leftover roasted veggies if on hand

Fruits: my faves are apple slices with baking spice, or a rainbow medley of berries

Sweets: dark chocolate pieces or honey for the cheeses

And finally, for presentation which honestly makes me look forward to these, add a variety of colors and textures, a small cute bowl in the center for your dips, and arrange everything in a circle. Make sure you have at least 4 things on your plate so your brain feels like it has a lot of choices. YUM. 

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, by Cheryl

Well hello 2026! To welcome the new year, Jon and I are doing Whole 30 for our 7th year in row! Wow! I wanted to add some different Whole 30 recipes to the list so in comes these sausage stuffed mushrooms from Paleo Running Momma. These were just okay. I wouldn't make them again. My daughter didn't like the sausage mix so she only had the mushrooms. And to be honest I wasn't a huge fan either. Jon ate them up though! Yum?

Ingredients:

18 large white mushrooms

4 tbs olive oil, divided

sea salt and ground pepper

cooking spray

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb Italian sausage 

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/3 cup almond milk cream cheese

1 tbps plain unsweetened almond milk

3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 baking dish.

2) Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

3) Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in pan on medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with a spoon. Cook unti lits completely browned, about 5-8 minutes. 

4) Stir in the onions and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the almond flour, seasoning, stirring to combine. Finally, stir in the cream cheese and almond milk. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

5) Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on the pan. Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mix. Bake until stuffing is browned, about 30-35 minutes.  

Crockpot Pork and Sauerkraut, by Diane

One of my friend's mother uses this recipe to make Pork and Sauerkraut, a PA German tradition for New Years Day. I was a bit skeptical as I don't love sauerkraut and this recipe is fairly heavy on the stuff, but WOW was this one of the best recipes to come out of my kitchen (not the mention the easiest!). Everyone inhaled this stuff, and I will absolutely make this again. Traditionally this is served over mashed potatoes. YUM!

Ingredients:

2lb boneless pork loin  

2 16 oz bags (not cans) of sauerkraut, drained

1 can beer (cheap beer like budwiser is great here)

1 large apple, sliced (I used an unpeeled gala)

1 large yellow onion, sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used slightly less)

1 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in crock pot in this order: pork on bottom, covered with sauerkraut, sliced apples and onions on that, sugar sprinkled on that, beer poured over top, and butter on last. 

2. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours (or low for 8 hours).

3. Stir the toppings (not the pork) at 3 hours, and every hour after if desired, mixing the kraut/onion/apples until the apples are dissolved by the end.

4. Once finished cooking, shred the pork (it should fall apart easily) and mix into kraut mixture.

5. Serve over mashed potatoes with some of the liquid as gravy.