The Daily Grind, Chop and Fry

My sister Pat made this as her meal at the beach house this year, in the crock pot. Aside from William saying “Where’s the meat? The meat’s the best part!”, it was a delicious hit. And now when we eat it we get the memory of eating it at the beach with a loud pile of family.

2 tbsp olive oil:
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green and 1 red pepper, diced
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and cubed (about 1 1/2 cup)*
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 sm can roma tomatoes,chopped – drain and set aside the juice so you can adjust the consistency later.
Or- 4 or 5 fresh roma tomatoes and water as needed
2T chili powder
2t salt
2 bay leaves
3 cans dark red kidney beans, or 4 if you like it beanier
Hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste

In a big pot, sautée the onions until onions begin to soften and add the celery, cook for about 5 mins. Add the Pepper, squash and tomatoes and enough liquid to cover.* Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.

Add the spices and beans and hot sauce/cayenne, taste seasonings to check, and simmer another 30 min. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with diced onion, tortilla chips and cheddar or cojita cheese as garnish.

*You can shorten the cooking time by slicing the squash in half, and baking it flat side down while you start the chili, then peel and cube. If you are using cooked squash, add it with the beans and only cook the tomato/pepper mixture for about 25 minutes.This is also a good crock pot dish. The squash becomes pretty much part of the base, which is really good in its own way. You can also use canned or frozen squash in the crock pot if you want, or even a can of pureed squash or pumpkin if you want to sneak it past some children.

Shopping List

2 medium onions
garlic
celery
1 green and 1 red pepper
butternut squash (fresh, canned or frozen)
olive oil
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 sm can roma tomatoes,chopped
Or- 4 or 5 fresh roma tomatoes
3 or 4 cans dark red kidney beans
chili powder
bay leaves
Hot sauce or cayenne pepper