Feed a hardy appetite with this staple fall weather meal. This easy-to-make chili will be a family favorite. Just place all the ingredients into a crockpot. Then leave it alone until it’s done.

The Recipe

½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, diced
1 lb ground sirloin or turkey

2 cans of kidney beans (15 oz)
1 can pinto beans (15 oz)
1 can green chilies, chopped (4 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Adobo seasoning (optional)
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ – 1 tsp salt

The Garnish (optional)

• Sour cream
• Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• Green onions, sliced thin

In a large sauté pan, sauté the onions, garlic, and bell pepper until softened. Transfer to a 5 qt. crockpot. Add the ground sirloin or turkey into the pan and cook until browned. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces. Drain off any excess fat, then transfer to the crockpot. Then add the beans, chilies, tomatoes, and sauce, then oregano, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Ladle the chili into bowls, top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onion. Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings. Can be doubled for larger crock pots.

Green Apple Dietitian Tips

• Balance the meal with a crispy green side salad
• Great recipe to make ahead of time and place into single-serve containers
• Serving size, approximately 1 cup of chili

Vegetarian

• 1 container of extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove all liquid
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsps avocado oil

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Crumble the tofu using a spatula or a potato masher, then add to the pan with the nutritional yeast. Sauté for about 15-20 minutes until brown. Add the mixture to the crock pot.

Dinner made easy with this simple recipe. The sauce is great to make in advance before serving and will provide leftovers on busy days. You can feed a small group last minute or freeze it for another time. Instead of spaghetti noodles, pair the sauce with either penne, rotini or bowtie pasta.

Easy Sauté Pan Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

¼ cup diced Onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground sirloin OR ground turkey

1 can whole tomatoes, 28 oz
1 can tomato Paste, 6 oz

1 tsp powdered garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp dried basil
½ – 1 tsp salt (optional)
¼ tsp black pepper

8 oz pasta cooked according to package instructions

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a 3.5 qt sauté pan. Turn on the stove to medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté just enough to smell the aroma of the garlic while the onion becomes a little translucent. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.

Then add the sirloin or turkey to the pan and sauté until completely brown. Use a spatula to break the meat into small pieces. Cook the plant-based crumbles according to package directions.

Whole tomatoes can be a bit messy when trying to crush them for the sauce. One way to do it is to pour them into a separate bowl. While using a stick mixer, gently blend the tomatoes down to a smooth sauce or leave them in chunks. They’ll break up more while cooking.

After the sirloin or turkey is done browning, take the pan off the heat, and drain off any fat. Set the meat aside. Once the pan has cooled, add the whole tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan. Make sure the pan has cooled enough before pouring the tomatoes and tomato paste or it will splatter.

Now add back the meat and garlic/onion mixture to the pan along with the powered garlic, oregano, fennel seed, basil, salt and pepper. Turn the heat back up to medium and bring the sauce to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low and cover. Simmer for up to 1 hour or longer. Stir occasionally. If the sauce reduces too low add ¼ cup of water at a time to desired thickness. Serve sauce over pasta. Recipe makes about 4-8 servings.

Green Apple Dietitian Tips

• For fresh oregano and basil instead of dried, add 1 Tbsp fresh oregano and 1-2 tsp finely chopped Basil. Add the basil toward the end of cooking for the best flavor
  
• Sauce can be made the day before to save time. Cook the pasta on the same day
  
• Sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese over the spaghetti for more flavor
  
• To make it a balanced meal, make half your plate spaghetti and the other half a green side salad, steamed green beans or broccoli
  
• Vegetarian option: 1 lb firm tofu, cut into small squares. Sauté with 1 Tbsp oil until brown
  
• Serving size approximately ½ cup sauce over 1 cup cooked pasta

Looking for an alternative to deep fried chicken? How about chicken your kids will eat, that tastes better than frozen? Get all the crispiness of fried by baking instead.

Crunchy Chicken Tenders Recipe

1 cup Panko bread crumbs
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ tsp granulated garlic
½ tsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp salt and pepper
¼ cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 eggs, beaten or ½ cup egg beaters
1 Tbsp milk or water
1 package of chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cover a cooking sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray. Gather 3 shallow bowls: In 1st bowl, combine flour, garlic, Adobo seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper. In 2nd bowl, beat eggs and add milk. In 3rd bowl, combine combine Panko crumbs and cheese.

Using a fork, pick up one chicken tender and coat with flour mixture, shake off excess. Next dip it into the eggs, then into the bread crumbs. Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders. Be sure to coat evenly during each step. Arrange chicken into a single layer, on the prepared cooking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove cooking sheet from the oven, turn over each chicken tender to brown the other side.

Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken looks golden brown. Make sure internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees. Serve immediately.

Makes approximately 2 – 3 servings.

Green Apple Dietitian Tips

• Serve with your favorite dipping sauces
• Cut into smaller chunks and toss into a green salad
• Serving size is 2-4 chicken tenders based on the size of each tender