Sweet Potato Pumpkin Chili

I cannot believe that October is almost here! It’s still quite warm here in the Southern California, but as per usual, I’m trying my hardest to ignore it and we are in full on cozy season inside the house. Our Halloween decor is up and I’ve got my candles going.

Chili is one of my favorite things to make this time of the year. It’s so simple, but so hearty and comforting. Two of my favorite chili recipes are my Pumpkin Chili and Sweet Potato Chili. I recently bought a really huge can of pumpkin puree and thought why not use it up and combine my two favorite chili recipes into one – Sweet Potato Pumpkin Chili!

This recipe is vegetarian and also vegan! The sweet potato replaces meat and I also used veggie broth instead of chicken broth. The beans and sweet potatoes make this soup so hearty and filling, you will never miss the meat!

I use about 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes for this recipe. You can use less if your potatoes seem larger. Since chili is usually thicker, I only use about 3-4 cups of broth, but I do recommend having a bit extra on hand if you like your chili to be a little less thick. The sweet potatoes will absorb some of that liquid as they cook.

Lemon Parmesan Potato Foil Packets

I made these potato foil packets earlier this summer and feel like they are the last summer recipe I have in the bank! But really though, potatoes are delicious all year round and while you can certainly cook these on a grill, they can also be cooked in the oven which is how I cooked them since we aren’t allowed to have grills in our townhome community.

These potatoes are so ridiculously easy to make too! Just slice up some baby gold potatoes and toss them with some olive oil, garlic, some seasonings, fresh lemon zest and juice, and of course, a good dose of grated Parmesan cheese!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

It’s almost the middle of September. It’s my birthday week. So, we are hopping on the pumpkin train this week! As per usual, I could hardly wait and actually made these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies a couple of weeks ago.

Of course, it’s looking like we might have some pumpkin shortages this year, so if you see it in your stores, buy it now! I was able to grab a larger can of puree recently and froze a lot of it. If you are able to get your hands on some, you must give these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies a try to kick off the pumpkin season!

As you can see in the photos, these cookies are gloriously thick! I kind of followed my general best ever cookie recipe as my base for these and made some tweaks, using just one egg since we were adding pumpkin puree and decreasing the flour to add in some oats. And of course, we had to add a good amount of cinnamon and other pumpkin spices!

I do like to chill this dough for a short bit, but it’s not a required step. In fact, you will probably notice that this dough seems thicker than other cookie dough recipes even without chilling it. These cookies also have a more muffin-like, cake-like texture to them.

Spicy Beef Enchiladas

It’s enchilada time (AKA my favorite time). Enchiladas are by far one of my most favorite dinners. Tortillas, meat, CHEESE. Yes, please!

I’ve actually never made beef enchiladas as I typically go for cheese or chicken so it was time to change things up! These enchiladas were just as delicious as I hoped and had a little kick to them thanks to the chili powder!

To make these, you will just need to cook up some lean ground beef with some oil and spices like chili powder, cumin, and paprika. I also added some canned green chiles. You could also add diced onion, but I used onion powder because my husband does not like them. If you don’t like spicy, you can cut the chili powder in half.

Now of course, the enchilada sauce is super important and I’m very picky about enchilada sauce. I like to use my homemade enchilada sauce, but of course, if you want to make this STAT, you can use whatever brand of canned or jarred enchilada sauce you enjoy! You will just need about 28 ounces (3 1/2 cups) worth.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of overnight oats. I love being able to prepare breakfast for the next morning in 5 minutes or less and not having to worry about it in the morning. I know some people don’t like the idea of eating cold oats, but it totally works for me and there are so many flavor possibilities!

I think this is even my favorite time of year to enjoy them because while my brain is totally ready to transition to fall flavors, it’s still so hot outside so overnight oats provide the perfect balance! These Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats are the best way to get that beginning hint of Fall!

Like all overnight oat recipes, this one is ridiculously easy. Start with adding a bit of your preferred milk (I use unsweetened almond, but it really doesn’t matter what you use), some spices like cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and cloves, and stir in the oats! Cover and chill overnight and in the morning, dice up a small apple of your choice (I’m partial to honeycrisp apples), another sprinkle of cinnamon and breakfast is ready! You can add a drizzle of maple syrup on top and other toppings like chopped nuts!

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I know I always talk about how much I love Fall, but I’m REALLY yearning for it this year. I cannot wait for all things fall and cozy (even though it will still be hot as heck out!). Fall also makes me so excited for soup! And one of my favorite soups? Broccoli Cheddar Soup! What’s not to love about it? It’s creamy and so cozy and cheesy. While I usually satisfy my broccoli cheddar cravings through Panera, I wanted to make my own recipe this time and the Instant Pot makes it so simple!

Seriously, all you need is about 20 minutes to make this soup, most of which will be spent just grating the cheese and chopping broccoli only needs 5 minutes in the pressure cooker to cook. After it’s done, you only need a few more minutes for it to thicken up and stir in that cheese!

One really important note before making this recipe – You MUST shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has additives in it that prevent it from clumping together which also makes it so it will not melt as smoothly. Trust me when I say, it’s the worth the extra few minutes it takes to shred the cheese yourself.

I used half and half in this recipe to save some fat and calories, but you can also use heavy cream if you don’t care and want a richer soup!