If you are going to take away the meat from my chili you better be able to back it up. This vegetarian bean chili is the next best thing. 

It’s that time of year… chilly chili time! While my go-to chili will always be my dad’s, if I need a vegetarian option this recipe is also exceptional. It involves a variety of canned beans and a lot of vegetable chopping in the beginning (can use a food processor to speed things up), but once it’s in your slow cooker there’s nothing left to do but go about your day and come home to dinner.

Since today is a Saturday that also means I snuck peanut butter and chocolate in there as well for #PBchocSat! The Ohio State Buckeyes are at home against the Wisconsin Badgers today at noon and it’s our toughest match up yet. But I have faith in my team, especially since it’s on our own turf (literally). But just in case I have this comforting chili to take care of my nerves.

Welcome to our #ChiliCookOff! 

We have delicious recipes from across the country to get your chili making to the next level of delicious!

• Slow Cooker Taco Chili by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• White Bean Turkey Chili by Sweet Beginnings
• Frito Pie Chili by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Slow Cooker Vegetarian Buckeye Chili by The Spiffy Cookie
• Sweet Hot Pepper Jelly Ground Beef & Bean Chili by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Steak Fajita Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garden Fresh Chili by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• BBQ Beef Brisket Chili by Palatable Pastime
• Slow Cooker Classic Chili Recipe by Our Crafty Mom
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili by Kate’s Recipe Box

Three years ago: Chocolate Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Almond Butter Frosting

Four year ago: Beet Biscuits

Six years ago: Sea Salt Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups

Eight years ago: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Bacon, and Apple

SLOW COOKER VEGETARIAN BUCKEYE CHILI

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 celery stalks, chopped

4 red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15.5 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15.5 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup unsweetened natural peanut butter

1/4 cup chili powder

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 Tbsp dried oregano

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar

1 Tbsp hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the peppers and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Set your slow cooker to low. Add the sauteed vegetables and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and cover. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Source: Adapted slightly from A Side of Sweet.

I’m no vegetarian but I can appreciate a delicious meal, carnivorous or not, and this lentil taco skillet has stolen my heart. Or maybe it’s my stomach?

Jump to recipe

I’ve only cooked with lentils a couple of times but this one is my favorite thus far. The texture the chopped up walnuts gave to the lentil mixture was a welcomed surprise. And after making this a handful of times already, I’ve decided that I prefer the canned lentils for this dish rather than cooked from dried.

On the other hand Bob said he couldn’t tell the difference. Maybe it was just an underlying bias due to the fact that I didn’t have to add an extra step to cook the lentils haha.

Post updated 1/28/20, photo above is the original.

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list because it’s mostly seasonings. As for my favorite way to use this lentil “taco meat”, it is over a bowl of roasted sweet potato tossed in the same seasoning used on the lentils and then topped with fresh avocado. It’s just so dang good! I sometimes use tortilla chips to scoop it up too. Or if you want to go the extra mile, use an authentic corn tortilla recipe to make tacos.

Evidently so good that when I first posted this recipe I failed to stop to take more than one photo on any of the occasions in which I’ve made it. Whoops. Thankfully I’ve made it again since then and have added new photos!

Two years ago: Coconut-Pumpkin Pie

Three years ago: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars

Four years ago: Spatchcocked Turkey with Champagne-Thyme Gravy

Five years ago: Overnight, Slow Cooker Ice Cream Oatmeal

Six years ago: Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Seven years ago: Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

LENTIL TACO SKILLET

Print

Yield: 5 Servings Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups (or a 15-ounce can) cooked lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1-1/2 tsp smoked paprika (feel free to use hot smoked paprika if you like extra spicy)
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
• 1 (14 oz.) can corn kernels, drained
• 1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• Tortillas, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and lime for serving

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Next add all the peppers and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. To the skillet, add the lentils, walnuts, tomato paste, and seasonings. Stir to combine and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. Add corn and black beans and cook just until warmed through.
3. Remove from heat and serve in tortillas with desired toppings or other preferred method!

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!

Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Seven layer dip is a party favorite, but I changed it up a bit with the addition of black bean hummus in this Mexican 7 Layer Hummus Dip!

Everyone loves a good Mexican layered taco dip. It has appeared a a couple parties recently and is subsequently destroyed. So when it was our turn to host a party it was on the list of things to make.

But of course in true form I couldn’t just make the traditional version, instead I made a Mexican version of my Greek hummus layer dip that I love so much with black bean hummus, jalapeno cream cheese, and all the toppings.

Technically if you count the cilantro there’s 8 layers but I consider it more of a garnish so let’s stick with 7, mk?

Today Bob and I are off to New Orleans for our honeymoon! Bob was home a whole 2 days after his free trip to Iceland (which I’m still jealous about) and now we are off again. Of course I feel no pity for him if he is tired because HE WAS JUST IN ICELAND FOR FREE. Did I mention I am jealous?

But we are really excited to get away finally after our wedding 3 weeks ago. We have literally nothing planned other than an excel spread sheet of all the places to go and most importantly things to eat that people have suggested. I haven’t been since I was in my early teens so it will be quite a different experience now!

One year ago: Banana Corn Fritters

Two years ago: Fig, Bacon, & Blue Cheese Pizza

Three years ago: Top 10 Favorite Peanut Butter & Chocolate Recipes

Four years ago: Nutty Edamame Dip

Five years ago: Gnocchi, Sweet Corn & Arugula in Cream Sauce

Six years ago: Reese’s Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Seven years ago: Almond Berry Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal

MEXICAN 7 LAYER HUMMUS DIP

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

HUMMUS LAYER

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained with 1/4 cup of liquid reserved

1/4 cup tahini paste

1/2 lime, juiced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

CREAM CHEESE LAYER

8 oz. jalapeno cream cheese, room temperature (or plain with chopped jalapeno added)

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

TOPPINGS

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped lettuce

1/2 cup chopped avocado

1/4 cup cheddar

1/4 cup slices black olives

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. For the hummus: Place black beans, tahini, lime juice, olive oil, and taco seasoning in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add reserved bean liquid (or 1/4 cup water) and puree until smooth. Season to taste.
2. For the cream cheese layer: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and yogurt and stir until blended.
3. Spread cream cheese evenly into the bottom of a dip bowl. Top with hummus and sprinkle with toppings.
4. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables.

Source: Adapted from my Greek Hummus Dip.

We’ve been getting a lot of rain here in Columbus lately, which while great for the vegetable and herb garden is not very conducive to grilling. Thankfully despite forecasts of rain all weekend we got a break and I was able to grill all the things just in time for #CookoutWeek 2018! This is the third year I’ve participated and I’ve got 3 recipes lined up starting with these avocados.

Most of the time I focus all my attention on the main course (which makes sense it’s called the main course after all) and end up with simple sides dishes like steamed vegetables. But for some reason that all changes in the summer. I switch to simple marinaded meats and then the side dishes try to steal the stage. These stuffed avocados are a perfect example of that as I served them alongside a mojo marinated steak.

Being a star side dish doesn’t mean it requires a whole lot of effort however. The “stuffing” for these avocados is a simple salsa made with black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and some seasoning. If I wanted to step my game up a little I would have grilled corn on the cob first and used that in the salsa but I didn’t think of that until just now. Guess we know what I’ll be making again sometime soon!

For the avocados themselves, all I did was brush them with some melted Chef Shamy garlic butter with Parmesan cheese and basil before placing them cut-side-down on the grill until they got those beautiful grill marks. Then just fill with the salsa and serve next to your favorite grilled meat! I’m sure someone else shared a delicious grilled main course that would pair well with this so make sure you check out the rest of today’s recipes at the bottom of this post and also be sure to enter the giveaway!

As an aside about the butter, Chef Shamy butter contains no oils and can actually be used in keto recipes if you’re into that. But what I find particularly useful about these butters in their shelf life. While it was proven to last up to 9 months unopened at room temperature, I keep mine in the fridge to help preserve freshness and increase it’s shelf life (6 months after opening). Want to try some and “Make the World a Butter Place®”? Use discount code 10BUTTER10 to get 10% from now until July 4.

One year ago: Monthly Meal Plan: July

Three years ago: Ohio Trail Mixer Cocktail

Four years ago: Strawberry Almond Scottish Oatmeal

Five years ago: Homemade Mozzarella & Caprese Salad Skewers

Six years ago: Blueberry-Blackberry Muffins

GRILLED STUFFED AVOCADOS

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:

BLACK BEAN & CORN SALSA

1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

Juice from 1/2 lime

1/4 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Crumbled cojita cheese

GRILLED AVOCADOS

2 ripe but firm avocados, halved and pitted

1 Tbsp Chef Shamy garlic butter with Parmesan cheese and basil, melted

Chili powder, salt, and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
2. For the salsa: In a medium bowl stir together the corn, beans, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and cumin until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
3. For the grilled avocado: Brush the cut sides of the avocados with melted garlic butter and place on the grill cut-side down. Cook until charred, about 2 minutes. Season with chili powder and salt and pepper.
4. To serve, fill the cavity of each avocado with the salsa, top with cotija cheese, and serve aside your main course.

Source: Adapted from Food Network.

Disclosure: Sponsors provided bloggers with complimentary product to use as we saw fit in our recipes. I was not otherwise compensated. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CampbellsShortcutMeals #CollectiveBias

Getting dinner on the table on a weeknight is easy with this Mexican-style chili. It is much quicker to prepare than traditional chili thanks to Campbell Soup Company products at Walmart.

Ready to shop for delicious Campbell Soup Company product ingredients? Hover over the photo to click through to Walmart.com and purchase them!

Thanks to my dad being on a winning chili team when we lived in Texas, chili was a staple dinner item in my house growing up. As you can imagine, for years I refused to make any other recipe than his and would rarely stray from the ingredient list beyond making it a little bit spicier. But recently I went off the deep end and have tried every variation I could think of making. While his chili will always have a special place in my heart (and belly), the foodie in me must experiment!

Normally it takes at least 2-3 hours to make but that’s not very weeknight friendly unless cooked in a slow cooker, which I have definitely done. This time around I decided to try my hand at a quicker version of chili with a couple substitutions to reduce cooking time and also change up the flavor a bit! For the base, I normally use a can of Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato Soup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and chili beans.

You can never go wrong with a traditional family favorite like tomato soup so I kept that in the mix along with the paste. But instead of the sauce I used Pace® to add a southwestern flavor along with some kick and instead of the chili beans I used black beans to create a Mexican-style chili. While I was at it threw in some corn for good measure. Then, in order to cut down on the cooking time I used already cooked, low fat Swanson® Premium Chicken.

I meant to take step-by-step photos to show you the process but honestly it’s as simple as cooking the onion and then throwing in all the ingredients. As you can see, just because it’s easy and quick doesn’t make it any less fun and delicious to serve to your family. If your kids have heat-sensitive taste buds, be sure to pick up the mild salsa and a green bell pepper instead of a jalapeno. What are you secrets to successful weeknight meals?

One year ago: Banana Split Chocolate Chip Cookies

Four years ago: Greek Pizza with Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough

Six years ago: Peanut Butter and Oat Granola Bites

QUICK MEXICAN CHILI

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 (9.75 oz.) can Swanson® Premium Chicken, drained

1 (10.75 oz.) can Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato Soup

1 (16 oz.) jar Pace®

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1 (15 oz.) can corn kernels, drained

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (or 1/2 small green bell pepper for a milder flavor))

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping if desired

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, warm olive oil and cook onion until tender. Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Thoroughly mix and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until thickened.
2. Add cheese and simmer for a couple more minutes until melted. Serve with additional cheese on top, sour cream, jalapeno, or tortilla chips if desired.

Source: Adapted from my dad’s chili.

This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. All opinions are my own.

Let’s get loaded – with pork! These nachos are piled high with BBQ pulled pork instead of taco meat followed by all of your favorite toppings.

It’s no secret that root beer is my favorite beverage of all time (other than that I primarily drink water or milk – yes I’m a 5 year old).

It also happens to be my favorite liquid to cook with as well, especially when it comes to BBQ as made evident by several recipes already on my blog featuring such things. I’ve made many a creation with my root beer pulled pork.

I’m continuing that trend today with my latest creation – slow cooker loaded BBQ pulled pork nachos!

While I have already shared BBQ nachos and root beer pulled pork sandwiches in the past, I’ve kicked things up a notch with these nachos while remaining easy to make.

I stuck to my tried and true, crazy easy and favorite method of cooking pulled pork which is to slow cook it along with a sliced onion in root beer. Once cooked, you simply shred with 2 forks into bite sized pieces!

I could have stopped there but I didn’t want all of that glorious root beer to go to waste so instead of dumping it I poured it into a sauce pan and reduced it down to a syrup.

This root beer syrup was then tossed over the shredded pork that was already cooked in the root beer and then placed until the broiler to promote some nice caramelization of those juicy shreds. Waste not!

Once the dual root beer cooking was complete, part of me considered making a root beer based BBQ sauce to really emphasize my root beer obsession but I wanted to keep things simple so instead I tossed the pork in one of my favorite BBQ sauces from where I grew up – Dinosaur BBQ!

Since I first had BBQ nachos in Memphis, I normally would have gone for one of the bottles of BBQ sauce that I stock piled from whenever I return to Memphis but I stumbled upon a bottle of this nostalgia at my grocery store here in Columbus and could not resist.

The end result was a pile of nachos featuring so many aspects of my life on one plate: Rochester, NY BBQ sauce from where I grew up, Memphis-inspired BBQ nachos from where I spent 6.5 earning my PhD, and Ohio pork representing the 4 years I spent at Ohio State as an undergrad from 2003-2007 and then returning in 2015 to make Columbus my current home.

What is your favorite way to cook pork / What is your favorite pork recipe?

Another of my other favorites is to marinade a pork loin and then grill it with corn on the cob. Again, super easy and crazy delicious. In fact I’ve already done that exact thing 3 times this year and I foresee may more occurrences in the future.

One year ago: Weekly Meal Plan: June 20-26

Two years ago: June 2015 Stitch Fix #9

Three years ago: Easy Honey Mustard Chicken

Four years ago: Cookie Dough White Chocolate Fondue

Five years ago: Prague

SLOW COOKER LOADED BBQ PULLED PORK NACHOS

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

PORK

1 onion, peeled and sliced

2 lb. pork pork shoulder or butt, trimmed of excess fat

24 oz. of root beer

18 oz. bottle of barbecue sauce

NACHOS

14 oz. bag tortilla chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups lightly packed chopped salad greens

1 cup black beans

1 cup salsa or chopped tomatoes

2-3 green onions, slices

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Spread the onion slices evenly on the bottom, lay the pork on top, and pour the root beer over the top (add water if needed to just cover). Set on low and and cook for 6-8 hours, or until cooked.
2. After pork has cooked, remove the meat from the crock pot and reserve the liquid – strain out the onion from the liquid. Place liquid into a large pot over high heat and simmer while stirring occasionally until it leaves a trail when a spatula is run through it and it is thick and syrup-like, about 8-12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, turn the oven to broil and shred the pork using two forks. Once the syrup is done, fold the syrup into the pork and spread out mixture in a single layer onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Broil on lower middle rack for 5 minutes, until meat is crispy but not charred. Carefully remove from oven, flip the meat and broil again for 5 minutes longer.
4. Remove from oven, pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately on top of a bed of tortilla chips with desired toppings. Or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from my Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Carnitas.

These are not your every day stuffed zucchini boats, these are filled with taco meat to change up your next taco Tuesday.

Apparently I like this meal so much that I have already posted a nearly exact recipe on my blog already featuring Manwich – Mexican Manwich Stuffed Zucchini Boats to be exact. I only realized this when I was looking up the two recipes from which I adapted this one and saw the previous one which was also adapted from the same two recipes of mine – Mexican Stuffed Shells and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats.

I’m losing my mind kids. I’ve been blogging for almost 6 years and I’m starting to forget what has already been done. I almost threw out this post and skipped today but decided to go ahead with it anyway. It’s slightly different and heck I clearly enjoy it enough to keep making it so it’s worth the semi-repeat. It would be great served with a side of Mexican cauliflower rice and if for some reason you dislike Manwich then here’s your alternative.

Two years ago: Blackberry Basil Sparkler

Four years ago: Banana Ice Cream Nutella Sandwiches

MEXICAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 large zucchini (about 30 oz.)

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp homemade)

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained

1-1/2 cups pico de gallo (or salsa)

1 cup taco sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4″ thick. Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water.
3. In a frying pan oven medium heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink; drain grease then stir in taco seasoning and cream cheese. Cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Add black beans and mix well.
4. Pour pico de gallo on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each zucchini shell with the meat mixture and place zucchini in the prepared pan. Drizzle the taco sauce over the top, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions and sour cream.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Mexican Stuffed Shells and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats.

Few things improve black bean soup more than spicy chorizo with a counter balance of sweet peppers. Don’t forget the shredded white cheddar on top!

Spring is fickle. We were all so excited for the arrival of spring only to get blasted with cold. On the up side it is usually sunny on the cold days, but the few warm days we have been getting here in central Ohio also come with lots of rain. Just in case you were getting your hopes up for nice weather and getting out into your garden that is being slowly conquered by weeds. I suppose warm and rainy is better than cold and rainy but come on spring, stop being a tease!

Since it’s felt more like the beginning of winter lately than spring (we even got a dusting of snow to prove it), it seemed appropriate to bust out the big bowls for a warm-you-up-from-the-inside soup. I’ve shared a similar recipe before but this time instead of bell peppers I used these fun little sweety drop miniature peppers, which are sweet, tear-shaped peppers. I hunted high and low for these silly things and ended up buying them off Amazon.com. Of course right after, a friend sent me a photo of them located  in the olive bar at one of the grocery stores I didn’t check. At least I know where to get them in the future! If you can’t find them either and don’t want to buy it off Amazon, substitute with chopped red bell pepper.

One year ago: Corn on the Hog Pizza

Two years ago: Single Serving White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treat

Four years ago: Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Blondies with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Five years ago: Spicy Mac and Cheese

BLACK BEAN, CHORIZO AND SWEETY DROP SOUP

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb. chorizo, casing removed

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1-2 cloves gar­lic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar

1 Tbsp red wine vine­gar

2 cans black beans, 1 can rinsed and drained

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken stock, plus more if needed

4.3 oz. jar Sweety Drop miniature peppers, drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)

Shredded white cheddar, garnish

Chopped cilantro, garnish

Directions:

1. Add oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chorizo, crumble, and cook until browned and no longer pink, stir­ring often. Trans­fer to a plate lined with paper tow­el and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the same pan and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Stir­ to com­bine, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 6-8 min­utes, stir­ring occa­sion­ally, until ten­der and fragrant.
3. Trans­fer the mix­ture to a food processor/blender (or leave in pot and use an immersion blender). Add the brown sugar, vine­gar, and one can of the beans including the liq­uid. Process until fairly smooth.
4. Return the mix­ture to the pan and add the remain­ing drained black beans, stock, chorizo, and sweety drops. Sea­son with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Cook over medium to medium-low heat for 6-8 min­utes, adding a little more broth if necessary to reach desired consistency.
5. Divide the soup among indi­vid­ual bowls and gar­nish with cheese and cilantro if desired.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Black Bean & Chorizo Soup.

Items you may need (affiliate links):

Get yours bowls ready for something other than cereal for breakfast – breakfast burrito bowls with all kinds of deliciousness!

Today a group of bloggers and I are surprising Audra (The Baker Chick) with a virtual baby shower to celebrate the impending arrival of her baby girl! I swear, Audra makes being pregnant look as cute as can be. Is that weird to say? But seriously she’s definitely one of those women who seem to glow. Although I have never met her in person, I’ve been following her blog since the dark ages and couldn’t be more excited for her family and their latest addition. To celebrate, since Audra often posts killer brunch recipes, this virtual baby shower is chock full of recipes perfect for your next weekend brunch.

In the creation of my dish, I took the opportunity to utilize some of the latest additions to the OXO family, and was inspired to create a breakfast quinoa burrito bowl. You know how unless your bag of quinoa reads “pre-washed” you are supposed to wash it? Yea I don’t rinse it either. But now that I have the OXO Rice & Grains Washing Colander I have no excuse because it has small enough holes so that the grains don’t fall through like they would in my regular colander. Then I utilized the Grape & Tomato Cutter to quickly quarter a pint of grape tomatoes and the Adjustable Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer to perfectly slice an avocado. I actually have a heavy-duty weapon-of-mandoline already but I rarely pull it out because it’s so big! This little guy was great.

But all those components are just the tip of the iceberg for these breakfast burrito bowls. In addition to the quinoa, tomatoes, and avocado, there is also crispy baked breakfast potatoes, spicy chorizo, black beans, cheese, and a fried egg – creating the ultimate breakfast burrito bowl! No sauces needed, because who needs condiments when you can have a runny yolk? I served this for brunch last weekend and my boyfriend said it was one of the best things I’ve made recently. So go ahead, dive in!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Audra’s Shower menu!

Eggs Benedict Poutine from Warm Vanilla Sugar

Breakfast Quinoa Burrito Bowls from The Spiffy Cookie

Blood Orange Pancakes from Keep It Sweet Desserts

Naked Salted Caramel Layer Cake from Girl Versus Dough

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake from Steph’s Bite by Bite

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake from Eats Well With Others

Berry Cream Cheese Pastry Swirls from Bake or Break

One year ago: Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros

Two years ago: Smoked Sausage with Peppers and Onion

Four years ago: Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Mozzarella and Pesto

Five years ago: Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas

BREAKFAST QUINOA BURRITO BOWLS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

1 lb. ground chorizo

4 eggs

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

POTATOES

1-1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled (if desired) and sliced into 1/4-inch strips

1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of each. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl toss the fries with olive oil. Add the seasoned salt and pepper and arrange the fries in single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, flip over each fry, then bake for another 15-20 minutes or until desired doneness.
3. About 15 to 20 minutes before the potatoes are ready, prepare the quinoa. Rinse and drain quinoa. Add to a medium pot along with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add the chorizo. Cook until completely browned, remove from pan, and cover with foil.
5. Wipe most of the grease from the pan and return to medium heat. Crack eggs into the pan and cook until the whites are set.
6. To assemble, divide potatoes, quinoa, chorizo, black beans, avocado, and tomatoes into 4 bowls. Top with cheese and an egg. Serve immediately.

Source: Bowls adapted from my Slow Cooker Salsa Verda Burrito Bowls. Potatoes adapted from Slim Jim Fries.

Items you may need (affiliate links):

It’s time for Secret Recipe Club and this month I got to select something form the archives of Nora’s Natural Noshing. She actually had me back in 2013 and she tried my Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches and I was excited to return the favor. At first I was tempted to make her Butternut Whoopie Pies with Goat Cream Cheese Filling because um goat cheese filling? Then I spied her Sausage, Kale, and Squash Soup and dreamed of coming home to it after a cold day. Heck it would have be just the thing I needed after Ohio State lost to Michigan State on Saturday, when I couldn’t feel my toes after watching that heart breaking end from the stands. But I digress.

In the end I went with her Chorizo Ragu over Spaghetti Squash but instead of scraping the spaghetti squash out of it’s skin I decided to stuff the ragu inside, using the squash as an edible bowl (except for the skin of course). But check out How to Cut and Cook Spaghetti Squash if you prefer it the other way.

When the ragu was cooking I couldn’t wait, the aromas coming out of the pan were delightful. The scent captivated Bob into venturing into the kitchen and he couldn’t help himself but to try it before I was even done. He proclaimed it to be a perfect combination of flavors and I cannot say I disagree.

Two years ago: Mini Razzle Dazzle Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Three years ago: Pumpkin Bagels with Cinnamon-Walnut Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Four years ago: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

CHORIZO RAGU STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 small spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed

2/3 lb. chorizo sausage, casings removed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed and minced (optional)

1/2 small yellow onion, diced (about 2/3 cup)

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2-4 cups of spinach, stems removed and chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice from 1/2 lime

Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish/serving ideas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle olive oil over squash and season with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down onto a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Set aside for serving.
2. While squash cooks, place a medium skillet over medium heat and add chorizo and onion. Saute until cooked through and no longer pink and lightly browned.
3. Add garlic, cumin, paprika and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute.
4. Add bell pepper, tomato and beans and cook for 3-4 minutes. Toss in spinach and cook another minute or two until wilted.
5. Add cilantro the the skillet along with fresh squeezed lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon ragu into cooked spaghetti squash. Sprinkle with grated cheese and/or additional cilantro if desired and enjoy!

Source: Adapted slightly from Natural Noshing.