Beef & Butternut Squash Chili

I eat as I write. Tonight's dinner is so nummy I had to share it with you all. Well for obvious reasons I can't share my food with you all, however I can share how I made it.

I found a recipe online and for those of you who know me and my cooking, I of course, modified it to suit me and my tastes. I'm not sure how the recipe itself would taste, but I know for sure mine kicks it to the curb!

Here's my recipe. (Remember I don't measure, so I'm using approximate measurements). I also made a lot to have extras so I'm pretty sure you can half my recipe.

1 1/2 lbs. cooked ground beef

2 Green peppers, diced

1 large Onion, diced

4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2-3 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Can Kidney Beans (undrained)

1 Can Pinto Beans (undrained

1 Can White Beans (undrained)

3 Cans Diced Tomatoes (undrained)

1 Can Chicken Broth

2-3 Tbsp Dry Beef Broth Granules

1 small or 1/2 a large Butternut Squash, cubed

1/3 cup white rice

1-2 cups Frozen Corn

I had pre-browned the beef previously and in freezer bags so I skipped the step of browning the meat. But if you have raw meat I'd suggest doing this first and then setting it aside. Next saute the gr. peppers & onion until soft, in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the meat, & everything else on the list except for the rice and the corn.

Bring to a boil on med-high heat, uncovered. When it comes to a small boil, turn heat to med-low and cover for about 15-20 minutes.

After 15-20 min add rice and cover again for 20-30 min or until the rice is cooked. After it's cooked add the corn and cook for another 5-10 min. Add salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!

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Buttercup is the pumpkin-looking one and Buttenut is the tall yellowish one


I should mention that the Squash was grown by my very awesome hubby, Dan. I have not mentioned how truly awesome he's been this year with his first attempt at gardening. Earlier in the Spring he rented a 1/4 acre plot of land from a guy in the area and he used that 1/4 acres to experiment and grow all sorts of vegetables. This is what he planted this year:

Butternut Squash

Buttercup Squash

Zucchini

Cucumber

Romaine Lettuce

Head Lettuce

Leafy Green Lettuce

Sugar Snap Peas

Green Beans

Radish

Kohlrabi

Beets

Turnip

Broccoli

Pumpkin

Carrots

Cabbage

Brussel Sprouts

Corn

Black Beans

Pinto Beans

Soft White Wheat

8-10ft tall Sunflowers

I LOVED having fresh salad from the garden. We couldn't give zucchini away fast enough (we'll cut down on the plants next year). He didn't seem to plant enough snap peas. The kohlrabi was an interesting new veggie I'd never tried (and I liked it!). You can never have too many beets! The black & pinto beans were an interesting plant & surprising outcome (& super easy to grow your own beans!). The sunflowers were amazingly HUGE!! The wheat was interesting as well. We haven't harvested the pumpkin or brussel sprouts yet and some of the things either didn't work out or didn't taste good, but the fact of the matter is that he did it!

Dan's been reading all sorts of books, magazines & checking online about vegetable gardening and seeds and all about plant sex (that's the only part I cared about ;) tee hee). I love that Dan has gotten serious about being self sufficient and wanting to go back to the basics and to have a simpler way of life. Believe me there were days that he thought to give up, cause tending to a 1/4 acre garden plot & in the weather we've endured this summer, is a lot of hard strenuous work. But he stuck it through and I'm so proud of him! Kudos to you my Wuvey! Thanks for all hard work & the veggies this year!