Sneak some extra veggies into your cozy bowl of chili with onions, carrots, celery and butternut squash! They create a chunky texture with the seasoned ground chicken, diced tomatoes and pinto beans for one hearty dish.
If this doesn’t say fall I don’t know what does.
I’m the kind of person who would eat chili in the dead of summer. I’d also order hot coffee, wear hoodies and drive around with my seat heater on… certified heat FREAK. So when *society* says it’s okay to finally make chili, you better believe it’s my first dish of fall!
People make chili a lot of different ways — meatless, bean-less, vegetarian or very much the opposite — but I like a little mix of everything in every cozy bite. Chili (and soups in general) are a great place to sneak in extra veggies for your family because they take on the flavors of your chili seasonings. So why not add more?
This chili has meat, beans and LOTS of veggies so it really is a well-rounded meal in one bowl! I used onions, celery, carrots, diced tomatoes and roasted butternut squash to create a chunky textured, healthy chili.
I used ground chicken because honestly, it’s what I had in the refrigerator 🙂 You could use ground turkey for a very similar flavor or sub ground beef for a richer dish.
As for the beans, I grew up eating chili with pinto beans and I’m sticking to it! I love their flavor and texture, especially with the ground meat.
Here’s how you’ll make my Veggie-Packed Chicken Chili:
- Roast cubed butternut squash at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sauté onions, celery and carrots in a dutch oven.
- Create space in the pan to brown your ground chicken, seasoning with chili packet.
- Add in diced tomatoes, pinto beans and chili beans.
- Bring everything to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Add in roasted butternut squash and serve!
To me, chili screams fall, game day, family, crackling fire, cozy, happy… and now healthy! I hope you love it!
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Veggie-Packed Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 4 celery ribs diced
- 1 lb. ground chicken thigh can sub ground turkey
- 1 packet chili seasoning I use gluten free
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 14.5 oz. can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5 oz. can chili beans, in sauce (seasoned pinto beans)
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay cubed butternut squash on a sheet pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a medium pot or dutch oven on medium heat. When warm, add diced onions, carrots and celery. Cook until soft without letting veggies brown or burn, about 5-7 minutes.
- Move all veggies over in the pot to create space. Add in ground chicken and season with the chili seasoning packet. Break up with wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Toss together with veggies.
- Add in diced tomatoes, rinsed pinto beans and chili beans with sauce. Turn heat up to bring everything to a boil, then simmer on low heat. Cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes.
- When butternut squash has cooked, gently toss it in with the chili. Serve warm!