White Sweet Potato Bison Chili
My tried and true chili recipe, the best sourdough tool to use when chopping veggies, and tips on serving and storing leftovers
With the weather shifting and there being a chill to the evening breeze, I have wasted no time in bringing the soup pot out from it’s summer home at the bottom of the kitchen cabinet, or drawer, rather. Something about seeing a pot of soup or chili on the stove just says fall. I enjoy chopping, dicing, and arranging all the toppings in mix matched little bowls next to a tray of warm sliced sourdough bread. These kinds of meals simplify and cozify feeding a crowd. Ask each guest to bring a few toppings, add some rolls, cornbread, or a loaf of sourdough and you are all set.
I am sharing my go-to chili recipe with you today. It’s been a staple recipe in our home for over a decade, and something my kids will tell you I made every Sunday for many years, which is true. I have since broadened my soup and chili repertoire and try to rotate recipes more than I used to. I have always added sweet potatoes to my chili, and I do think that lends to the rich flavor of this recipe. My favorite variety are the white Japanese sweet potatoes. If you can get your hands on them, they are the absolute best.
This recipe requires about 15-20 minutes of chopping. I find chopping fresh produce to be very grounding and recalibrating. If I have been working on my laptop for a few hours, I either go for a barefoot walk outside or chop veggies to reset. My favorite bakers tool to use when cooking is a bench scraper. It takes the stress out of transferring diced vegetables from the cutting board to the soup pot. Thank you, Joanna Gaines, for teaching me this hack. It has been life changing.
I typically use ground bison for this recipe, but have used ground beef and elk and though bison is my favorite, all are delicious. When it comes to chili, sometimes I add beans, and sometimes not. Chili without beans, you say? Apparently this is commonplace in Texas. Texas friends, please weigh in and tell me if this is true? I, personally, love chili with beans, but it’s up to you whether you add them or not. Did you know most canned beans are pressure cooked inside the can before being put on the shelves? I’ll let you imagine the cocktail of interesting substances that might end up in your beans when they are cooked inside a metal can. For that reason, I like to purchase an heirloom variety of dried beans from Azure or Rancho Gordo and cook them in my Vitaclay in bone broth. For this go-around, I was short on time and used Jovial beans, which are pressure cooked and then packaged in glass jars.
When storing leftovers, my go-to’s are glass snapware containers. They are affordable at Costco and easy to stack and store. When it comes to freezing meals, my favorite way is to use these disposable brown cardboard soup containers. They are perfect single portions to reheat for mid week lunches or to take to a friend or family member when they are under the weather.
Sweet Potato Bison Chili
Makes 8 hearty servings
30-40 minutes of prep time.
TOOLS
Dutch Oven
Knife
Cutting Board
Wooden Spatula
INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp ghee
1 medium or large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of chopped veggies: zucchini, winter squash, peppers, tomatoes etc.
3 small to medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 lbs ground bison, beef, elk or venison - whatever you have on hand
3-4 Tbsp chili powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder or flakes
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 cups broth
1 small can diced green chilis
2 cans/jars or 3-4 cups cooked beans - drained. Favorite varieties: pinto, kidney, cannelinni, borlotti,
Toppings: pickled onions, diced jalepenos, scallions or chives, chopped avocado, diced tomatoes, diced shallots, shredded raw cheese, sour cream or creme fraiche, cilantro, lime wedges.
METHOD
In a large dutch oven over medium low heat, sauté the onion and garlic for 8-10 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the rest of the chopped/diced veggies, except for the sweet potatoes, and continue to sauté on medium low for 8-10 more minutes. Add the chopped sweet potato and turn the heat down one click. Put the lid on the dutch oven and let the sweet potatoes cook/steam for 8-10 minutes, then push the veggies over to one side of the pot and add the ground meat and spices. Break up the meat and incorporate the spices using the spatula. Turn the heat up to medium and sauté until meat is brown, stirring frequently.
Add broth, diced green chilis, and beans. Stir and cover. Simmer on low for a minimum of thirty minutes, until sweet potatoes are cooked through, and chili has thickened up. Serve buffet style, with toppings arranged in serving bowls, and store leftovers in a glass container in the fridge - chili is even better reheated on the stove the next day.
You can revamp the leftovers into a dip by spreading the chili into a baking dish and sprinkling cheese on top. Heat at 350º for 15ish minutes, then broil for a few minutes at the end of reheating, to brown and crisp the cheese. Sprinkle the top with fresh cilantro, scallions, shallots, chopped tomatoes etc, and serve with tortilla chips
.