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.

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

I had to be sneaky about making these cookies. You see, my husband has a Reese's Pieces Problem -- the problem being that, if we have them in our house, they make their way into his mouth at lightning speed. I knew if I wanted to have any Reese's Pieces available for these cookies, I had to keep them hidden from him, or avoid purchasing them until right before I baked the cookies. I just made it; mere moments after I'd stirred them into the batter, he was in the kitchen saying, "Hey, are those Reese's Pieces?" Then he proceeded to eat what was left in the bag (well, all except for one little handful I kept for myself). It was a close, close call.

We were both glad he didn't get to them before I made these cookies, because we would have missed out on an absolutely delicious sweet treat. These cookies are awesome! They were a huge hit with all of us and disappeared more quickly than I'd like to admit. The color makes them perfect for fall, but the flavor is one that we will be enjoying year-round (as long as I can keep Joe away from the star ingredient).

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from MD Cooks for 2

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup Reese's Pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, beat butter with sugar until smooth. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla.

4. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry mix until completely combined. Stir in Reese's Pieces and chocolate chips.

5. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool five minutes on baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

October Re-Make Re-Cap

You've probably noticed that I stopped posting my weekly meal plans. I'm definitely still planning meals, but I haven't posted the menu plans because they kind of take a lot of time that, frankly, I don't really have these days. I figure that if I make something and like it, you'll find out about it eventually anyway, right?

But as for the recipes on my meal plans that I've already made...well, I thought it might be fun to start doing a monthly round-up of those recipes. I think it's a good way to share some of my family's favorites that I make all the time, as well as to give all of you some inspiration for your own meal plans! So here are the recipes I re-made during October:

Maple brown sugar muffins and apple cinnamon cream cheese muffins: I made both of these muffins for the boys' snack days at preschool/daycare. The maple brown sugar muffins are our family's absolute favorites, and I have the recipe practically memorized. But when I started to make them this time, I realized I didn't have any eggs. A quick Google search revealed this handy tip: If you're out of eggs, you can replace each egg in a recipe with 1 tablespoon of corn starch dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water. I tried it, and the muffins were delicious -- no discernible difference in taste or texture.

Three cheese baked meatball subs: This recipe makes a ton of meatballs, so if you make it once you'll have at least two dinners. I just pulled a portion out of the freezer for an easy and delicious dinner one weeknight.

Butter-baked chicken: I still swear by this recipe as the best bone-in chicken I've ever made at home. This time I served it with fried potatoes and some simple buttered corn. I've also used this breading for boneless chicken tenders, which is also delicious.

Spicy sausage dip: I've made this dip every Saturday since the beginning of football season. It's Joe's favorite football snack, and I just absolutely love this stuff too. Last week when I made it, I told Joe that it's probably what I'd request for my last meal. I...don't think I was lying.

Cheesy chicken broccoli bake: I usually serve this over white or brown rice, because when you mix it all together it tastes just like cheesy broccoli rice casserole. We love this meal.

Chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles: Soup weather is back, and I celebrated its return with big bowls of this soup. Ever since I started making homemade egg noodles, I just can't go back to store-bought. They really don't take much time at all, and the flavor is so superior.

Joe's favorite meatballs: Joe requests these frequently (probably because they are his favorite, right?). This time we had them over cheese ravioli. (The meatballs are too spicy for the boys, so I set aside some of the sauce for them before I add the meatballs back in.)

Cheesy sausage penne: There are no words to describe how delicious this meal is. The recipe makes a ton, but this is a pasta dish that we are happy to eat for days and days.

Crock pot pork roast with potatoes and carrots: Everybody needs a roast recipe like this in their back pocket. We use the leftover pork for pulled pork sandwiches or carnitas.

Fried pickles: I made these (minus the burgers) during one of Ohio State's recent night games. I just love fried pickles, and I can't believe I've been missing out on them my entire life. I wish I started making them years ago.

Creamed chicken over biscuits: My favorite comfort food -- and one that reminds me of my mama. That's probably why it's my favorite. :) Not only is this delicious, but it's also ready in about 15 minutes.

Pumpkin crunch coffee cake: I made this cake last weekend for a breakfast with friends before apple-picking. I love that the recipe makes two cakes. The topping is seriously TDF.

Pretzel ranch chicken tenders: Three ingredients, and the best chicken tenders you've ever had. I learned a hard lesson this time around: One package of chicken tenders is no longer enough for my family. My growing boys were not happy when we ran out of tenders! Going forward, I'll have to make two packages.

Creamy butternut squash soup: We had this for dinner last night, and it is just so simple and delicious. I served it with smoked gouda bacon grilled cheese sandwiches, and I'll be sharing that recipe with you soon, because HOLY YUM.

Fried Egg Tostadas with Bacon-Black Bean Mash

This is one of my favorites out of the new recipes I've tried recently. I mean, come on: bacon and black beans mashed together with chipotles in adobo, topped with melted cheese, a fried egg with a soft yolk, and creamy avocado, all on top of a crispy corn tortilla? There is nothing not to love about that combination.

The bacon and chipotle in adobo gives these such a delicious smoky flavor, which pairs perfeclty with the cool and creamy avocado. And then there's that egg, with its silky yolk pouring down over the rest of the ingredients, coating the entire tostada with its delicious eggy flavor. Seriously. So. Good.

Fried Egg Tostadas with Bacon-Black Bean Mash

adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 to 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo (depending on how spicy you want it)

1/4 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

6 small corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon butter

6 eggs

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 avocado, pitted, thinly sliced, and generously tossed with lime juice

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon to desired crispness. Remove to a paper towel to drain and discard all but about 1/2 tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add the green onions to the same skillet and saute until slightly softened. Add the beans, cumin, and chipotles in adobo and mash the beans lightly with a fork (you don't want them complete mashed; leave some texture). Add 1/4 cup of water and the sour cream and stir until fully combined, then add the bacon back to the skillet. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook eggs to desired doneness.

4. Top each tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the black bean mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Then add 1 egg to each tortilla and top with sliced avocado.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

It's been a few months since I made this dinner, but I remember that night vividly. It was a Sunday, and right at around 4:30 (when I usually start making dinner), there was a knock at the door. It was a vaccuum saleswoman, and she wanted to come in and clean our floors. I told her that we (obviously) had wood floors, but then she asked to clean our rug. And then, the kicker: "Please, I just have to do one more cleaning today, and then I can go home." Well, then. Okay.

I didn't expect her to take an hour. The entire time, my boys were playing with her equipment and begging to use it and asking her to explain, in great detail, what each piece did. I'm pretty sure she regretted her decision to knock on our door at that point, and I was definitely regretting my decision to let her in. There's nothing like watching a pound of dirt being sucked up from the rug that you JUST VACUUMED to make you feel like a horrible housekeeper.

Thankfully, this horrible housekeeper can still put a delicious dinner on the table. Although it definitely made it to the table later than usual, this casserole was fantastic. It was really simple to prepare and was hearty and filling -- the perfect thing to make me forget all about my dirty rug.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

slightly adapted from Pillsbury

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1 3/4 cups marinara sauce

3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 can refrigerated garlic breadsticks

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 375 degeres. In 12x8-inch (2-quart) ceramic or glass baking dish, arrange chicken and season with salt and pepper. Pour marinara sauce over top to coat chicken. Sprinkle with basil and mozzarella cheese.

2. In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and Italian seasoning.

3. Separate dough into 8 breadsticks.  Cut each breadstick into 1-inch pieces and dip dough into melted butter mixture. Arrange pieces over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over dough.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut and cheese melted and bubbly.