White Chicken Pumpkin Chili

Recipe from Sara Skokan

1 pound chicken tenders or breasts diced

2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and lightly rinsed

1 15- or 16-ounce can/box pumpkin puree (plain)

1 large white onion or 2 small onions, diced

1 small jalapeño, diced/minced (or 1 pasilla pepper for less heat)

Oil for sauteing

1½-2 teaspoons coriander

1 tablespoon oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Suggested toppings: sour cream, avocado, cilantro, cheese, diced white onion, green onion

1. Turn on sauté setting, add oil, dice onions while pot is heating up.

2. Put onions in on sauté and sauté until translucent while cutting the jalapeño/pasilla. Add jalapeño, stir. Turn off heat. Let sit while opening cans and rinsing beans.

3. Add beans, pumpkin, and all spices; stir well to distribute spices and salt.

4. Add chicken and stir. If your chili is looking very thick, add some water so it doesn’t burn to the Instant Pot. (I used a can from the beans and added half to a whole can of water depending on how thick it is. Different pumpkin purees can have different consistencies, you may not need too much water if your pumpkin puree isn’t very thick. The chili will end up being slightly thinner than the mixture before cooking so don’t add too much water or it will be more like soup.)

5. Set Instant Pot to manual or chili setting for 25 minutes.

6. Use quick release, stir well, and serve with your favorite toppings. Add salt to taste if needed.

Note: Spiciness will depend on how hot your peppers are, for a milder version, use a small green bell pepper instead of the jalapeño or pasilla pepper. I have used 1 pasilla pepper plus half a spicy jalapeño for a nice kick. You can’t really taste the pumpkin but it’s rich with a great texture.

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

Recipe from Amy Alta

While she couldn’t supply exact amounts, Amy offered the basics.

Meatballs:

Ground beef (add ground pork, if you wish)

Cooked rice (any kind)

Dehydrated minced onion, softened in a bit of warm water

Salt

Pepper

Onion powder

Garlic powder

To make meatballs, combine ingredients and into bite-size balls; add to the sauce and let them cook all day on the slow cook option.

Broth:

2 cans of Campbell’s Tomato Bisque Soup (no substitutes)

1 can full of water (rinse between the two cans)

Diced green, red, yellow and orange peppers (if I have them all; if not, I use what I have)

Onion

Fresh minced garlic

Pinch of brown sugar

After the meatballs have cooked a few hours, combine above ingredients to make broth.

“I prefer my broth to be a bit on the thick side as I serve it with mashed potatoes or over mashed potatoes,” said Amy. “I also make the same recipe and substitute the peppers for cabbage to make Unstuffed Halupki Soup. The secret to this recipe is definitely the Campbell’s Tomato Bisque soup.”

Italian Chicken

Recipe from Christina Santee

2 bottles of zesty Italian salad dressing

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (depends on how big they are)

Set Crockpot Express by using the poultry button and make sure to change the time limit it has preset to 45 minutes due to the large quantity of food.