Chipotle Maple Chili
This week was busy - I had a big run this weekend, Jordan’s Ironman went down (such a highlight!), and we had some unexpected taproom work on our plates. But Monday remains our uninterrupted day at-home (I’m soo grateful we have this baked in), and that meant I still had Monday to get elbow deep in a kitchen cooking project. With Jordan’s upcoming Ironman race, I was pretty dead set on keeping things safe in the realm of at-home dinners. No heavy spices or super rich ingredients. Lots of veggies. Just nothing super fatty or super indulgent to keep upset stomaches at bay. But I wanted a project where I could try something new + dive into a fresh recipe. Insert Chipotle Maple Chili. It has a cauliflower rice + so many other veggies cooked right in, and a notable dose of maple + chipotle spice. And holy cow - it’s so good. I was inspired by a maple chili that I stumbled on. An online recipe I deemed both feasible to make in the 2 hours I was willing to put in for dinner preparation + could be successully converted to a vegetarian chili. Correct on both accounts! It was the perfect “quick” chili to whip up and it had so many bold, comforting flavors. Obsessed!
Between Jordan’s ironman + my marathon, non-alc beer, specifically this one, has been a new staple at our house. And we joke about “crushing beers” on a Friday - these are the beers.
Quick Chili - it’s possible
First things first, this is a quick chili. It’s delicious, which is the most important thing (duh), but it comes together pretty quick. For me that means it’s officially filed away in the rolodex tab of “will cook after a busy day when I still need a home-cooked meal.” I feel like working people who have eating out anxiety get this. Like you want a yummy dinner, you want it to be handmade + healthy + something you’ll really enjoy diving into, but you can’t sacrifice the productivity of a solid work day to make it happen. This is the dinner to choose.
Chili is synonymous with low + slow, all day process. That’s just a fact. It’s one of the those things that takes hours on end to get right. Except this chili. It might be the depth in flavor from the chipotle + maple, but it comes together quick. No need to ensure it’s cooking by 11am for 7pm dinner - this chili is different.
All veg
Frozen cauliflower rice is a suitable substitute for ground beef. Period. Done. End of story. It for real takes on the flavor of any seasoning you’d typically add to ground meat in a chili, and adds that hearty base while keeping it totally vegetarian.
The tenderized bell peppers + onions + beans - they’re the traditional staples that keep it feeling very chili-esque. They stand out + provide the usual chili flavor base, and for us, it’s good mix of veggies for a vegetarian. No meat, but still all the good texture and Southwest flavor.
Maple + Chipotle
Ok - addressing the maple because it’s polarizing and kinda weird, but omg - it’s this little hit of sweetness that is so so yummy!
As I was pouring the maple into the chili, I had the thought that I might want to punch myself in the face for doing this. Sweet maple syrup in a savory chili? It sounded so odd and like it could very well lead to meal I genuinely wanted to chuck in the trash after devoting a solid chunk of time to. But I was so intrigued. The “what if it’s good” just kind of haunted me, and I’m because it was so good. Lick the bowl, mop up every last bit with a biscuit good. I was mainly questioning if this would end up being a chili I wanted to load up with shredded cheese, avocado, & sour cream (among other things), and the answer is YES. The maple definitely stands out - you know it’s there - but it’s just so good with all the spices + everything else going on in there.
Now the chipotle, To put it simply, maple + chipotle sounded like it would make a great BBQ sauce, so I went with it. I thought it would translate to a fun take on chili, and it did! The tangy chipotle is the perfect pepper for this chili. And in our house - it’s not chili without something spicy. The tangy + smokey chipotle plus sweet maple is a great little pair, and they compliment each other perfectly.
Final little bonus of making this maple chili - it was the perfect reason to bust out a few of my homemade buttermilk biscuits for dipping. Tucked away in the freezer for special dinners just like this one.
*ending with a couple photos from the Ironman because it was such a highlight of 2023
For the chili
3 tbsp EVOO
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tsp smoked paprika
salt + pepper
2 c. of frozen cauliflower rice
3 canned chipotle peppers + 2 tbsp of the chipotle liquid
1 can of black beans, drained + rinsed
1 can of diced + fire roasted tomatoes
2 c. chicken stock
1/4 maple syrup (good quality syrup suggested)
Avocado, sliced jalapeño, shredded cheddar, + Mexican hot sauce for topping
Toasted bread: biscuit, cornbread, or other
Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the EVOO + garlic, cooking until just fragrant. Add in the onions + peppers, + cook uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the seasonings, toast for 1 minute, and then add in the cauliflower rice. Stir to mix in with the tender veggies, & then cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Uncover + then add in the pepper, beans, + tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover, and the mixture continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes. After that cook time, stir in the maple.
Serve with a tray of garnishes - finishing with the perfect combo of avocado, jalapeños, cheddar cheese, and anything else you want for a perfectly dressed bowl of chili. Dive in, and be sure to include a biscuit, chunk of cornbread, or other crusty bread for dipping.