Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Black Bean Chili

Judging by what I've seen on Pinterest and in my blog reader lately, it seems that chili is a traditional meal for many families on Halloween. In our house, that isn't the case. We usually order pizza or get Chinese take-out before heading out for trick-or-treating. Tonight is no exception; I'll be picking up sesame chicken and crab rangoon for us to enjoy before Joe and I and our little Luigi and Firefighter Will head out in the dreary, cold, rainy weather.

But I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to share this chili recipe. It's loaded with orange sweet potatoes and black beans, so it's perfect for Halloween. I made it over the weekend, when I'd originally planned to make sweet potato and black bean tostadas (which are still on my list to try); but then I found ground chicken on discount at the grocery store for 99 cents, and Joe mentioned that he was craving chili -- so this recipe was born.

This chili is absolutely fantastic -- spicy and just slightly sweet. And it's pretty healthy, too! If you have seasonal beer or hard cider on hand, use that to deglaze the pan (Joe only had one Oktoberfest beer left in the fridge, so I decided to save it for him to drink, but it would've been delicious in this chili). We topped our bowls with chopped avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, crispy tortilla strips, and a squirt of lime juice. Absolutely delicious!

Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Black Bean Chili

3 tablespoons butter

1 red onion, choppped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground chicken

2 cups chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can diced chili-ready tomatoes, undrained

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

Generous pinch of cinnamon (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can black beans, drained

Shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, and lime wedges for serving

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion and sweet potato, season with salt and pepper to taste, and saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add ground chicken and stir to combine, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. Add about 1/2 cup of the chicken stock (or beer, or hard cider) and use a wooden spoon to release the browned bits at the bottom of the pot.

2. Add the rest of the chicken stock, all of the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Heat to bubbling then reduce heat and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes, up to as long as you want. About 10 minutes before serving, add the beans. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired.