Dave and I love almost any type of chili — and I love how quick and easy it is to make {and freeze for later}. So I’m always on the look-out for new and different chili recipes to try.
This sweet potato chili is one of our all-time favorites and I actually stumbled upon it by accident a few years ago when I was making a bunch of chili for some friends. About an hour before they were supposed to arrive, I was informed that a few more people were coming so I quickly looked through my pantry to see what I might be able to add to the chili to increase the volume.
I had a couple sweet potatoes left over from Thanksgiving so without much thought, I pealed them, chopped them up, and quickly threw them in the simmering pot of chili.
By the time we ate almost an hour later, the sweet potatoes had sweetened the chili and were soft and delicious. Ever since then, I almost always put sweet potatoes in my chili!
As with most of my soup recipes, you can feel free to throw in whatever vegetables you have on hand. However, these are the ingredients I normally use.
The only thing not pictured here is a pound of ground beef {or ground turkey}.
And I should mention that it IS important to use “chili beans” {you don’t have to use Brooks} because they have the chili sauce and seasonings mixed in already.
Not only is this chili SUPER colorful, it’s also relatively healthy as well… and it freezes wonderfully!
Recipe for a Large Batch of Chili:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
- 2 small onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 c. chopped celery
- 2 15. oz cans of corn {or frozen corn}
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
- 30 oz. can chili beans with sauce {do NOT drain and rinse}
- 1 – 2 c. water or broth {depending on how thick you like your chili}
- 2 T. chili powder
- 2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 T. red pepper flakes {optional — but it does add a little kick!}
- 1 T. salt
Directions:
- Brown meat, onions, and garlic in a large stock pot or dutch oven until meat is fully cooked
- Drain and return to stock pot
- Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir well — adding more water or broth as necessary
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes or until veggies are cooked — stirring occasionally
- Serve with fresh bread, sour cream, shredded cheese, or any of your other favorite chili toppings.
Sweet potato chili is SO easy to make and you can honestly let it simmer on the stove for a couple hours if you want to {on very low heat}. You could also make this a vegetarian meal by eliminating the ground beef and adding more beans.
This recipe almost fills my 8qt. stock pot which means there is usually enough left over for two large freezer containers — and there’s just one pot to wash!
So as the weather gets cooler and the leave continue to fall, make a batch {or two} of this delicious sweet potato chili to feed your family and fill your freezer!
What is your favorite type of Chili?
Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family friendly, recipes!
Sarah says
Oh, and I used leftover roast instead of the ground beef – using up leftovers. SO good!
Sarah says
Wow! This soup is amazing!!
I happened to have a 10 oz bag of frozen cubed sweet potatoes, so I saved myself the peeling, chopping business and it worked great. I had planned to freeze some; however, that big ol pot of soup didn’t last!
Andrea says
yay — glad you like it! it IS pretty tasty!
Jennifer says
We made this soup/chili tonight–yummy! : )
Andrea says
I made it earlier this week so we ate leftovers today — also yummy!! So glad you liked it!
Donna M. says
Wish I liked sweet potatoes. I’ve tried them so many ways and just don’t like the sweetness. Can’t imagine adding them to chili.
Candace says
That sounds really good. I planned on making chili tonight and I just happen to have a couple sweet potatoes, definitely going to try this recipe.
Karen says
Mmm… I love chili. My “recipe” is quite possibly the rock bottom simplest chili recipe on the planet… Just the essentials (ground meat, onion, garlic, chili powder, beans, diced tomato) and nothing else. Soo yummy. I might have to try something like this sometime, though, and see how it goes over with the hubby. He’s not usually a sweet potato fan, but it sounds like a pretty good combination to try to me. 🙂 Thanks for the post! Love your blog 🙂
P.S., this is nit-picky, but I think you mean you “peeled” your potatoes… “peal(ed)” is a sound. 🙂
Karyn says
This sounds so good! I’m going to try it in the crockpot on Wednesday, our crockpot meal night. Thanks for the great ideas you give on SOL!
Ann says
Do you ever make goulash? I think this might be an interesting topic since it seems everyone has a different idea of what goulash means! To me it means filling and fast and cheap!
Also, if you are looking to stretch your chili to feed more people, you can always serve it over a bed of rice or pasta. (Essentially goulash?) I used to serve leftover chili over pasta when there wasn’t quite enough left to feed our family for another meal.
Ann says
Are the muffins just corm muffins with red and green peppers in them? They are beautiful!
Ann says
*corn 🙂 I saw it as I hit “submit”. 🙁
Kelly says
Sounds yummy! Will have to try sometime…
I make pumpkin chili sometimes… I would imagine it’s pretty similar! Trader Joe’s was giving it out as their sample one day and I loved it!
Ann says
Oh, for a Trader Joe’s nearby! I wish they would come to GR (or better yet, Kentwood!)
Renea says
Looks very colorful! Last night I pulled out a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese and it crossed my mind to ask if you ever use “boxed” food in a weak moment? Or even have it in your pantry? Or does your weekly menu help you avoid it? Love your blog! R.
Andrea says
Thanks Renea — and YES, I most definitely use boxed foods… it’s just not something I blog about {because everyone knows how to make mac & cheese} Even in this chili recipe I use the “short cut” chili beans with sauce — so I don’t have to make my own!
I use boxed mixes all the time for baking, but then usually “doctor them up” a bit like these Monster Brownies.
Our weekly meal plans do help me avoid fast food, frozen, pizza, and boxed food much of the time — however we’ll often crack open a box of Mac & Cheese or canned tomato soup on Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening. I also use lots of canned and frozen fruits and veggies {some canned and frozen by me, others from the store}.
I think I’ve found a good mix of using semi-processed “convenience foods” along with lots of fresh and home-made foods to keep life simple but also provide a balanced diet. Hmmm… now you’ve got me thinking that this might be a good blog post topic!!