Nothing beats a bowl of chili on a cold day! This Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is full of flavor and the perfect cozy meal for the family. Put everything in the crock pot in the morning and come back later to dinner!
As you may know by now, patience is not really something that comes too naturally to me.
From time to time, the lyrics come into my head from an old song that I’m really not sure who even sang it, but it goes something like, “I’m in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life’s no fun…” If I had to have a personal theme song, this would probably be it. I am working on this and, as with many things, it is a practice. And practice makes…perfect? How about practice brings presence instead.
Practice brings Presence: Something I am working on
While it is so hard for me to be in the moment because I am so often three steps ahead, there is one thing that I feel like society as a whole needs to slow the heck down on.
It all started on Halloween. Need I remind you that Halloween is on October 31?
I was driving to work and had the radio on in the background as I do most days. However, something didn’t seem quite right. I hadn’t been completely aware of what was going on in the radio until suddenly, I heard it. Jingle Bells. Wait a minute, seriously? I turned up the volume. Oh dear. What is going on here, people?
Like I said, I am typically the one who finds it unbearable to wait patiently for things to happen, but I also have a sense of the order of things. And in my world, Christmas comes after Thanksgiving and certainly well after Halloween. So then why is this acceptable? For all I know, people have only had a few weeks to sip on their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and suddenly it’s time for Egg Nog!
What IS the rush? The need for Christmas and presents and shopping makes us blind to the season that is about the things we need the most: gratitude, love, presence. What happened to Thanksgiving? I get it, there are no gifts or a man in a fat suit on this holiday, but this holiday is exactly what we need to savor and not just rush through so we can get to the presents.
I was reminded of another tune when I heard Christmas music in October. You know the one, “To everything turn, turn, turn…There is a season turn, turn, turn…”
There is a season. The season actually doesn’t go straight from October to December. Thanksgiving is still a very real thing.
When we have lost sight of what matters most to us, we have this day, this season of gratitude to remind us. When we hang up our bags from trick-or-treating and are instantly bombarded by elves and mistletoe, it may be difficult to see this season, but it does exist.
Like I have said before, I am typically the one to run at full speed through life, but for some reason, this is where I draw the line. I will not listen to Christmas music in October, nor will I listen to it until Thanksgiving has past. I will work to savor the time I get to be with my family and the ones I love–I will not take for granted the time we have together. I will keep the Christmas season in December and Halloween in October. And the two will never meet.
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili: A Hug in a Bowl
Speaking of savoring, there is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup to bring you right into the moment.
I like to think of soup as a big hug in a bowl. The weather turned a bit chillier this weekend, so I was up for some soup making. I am a big fan of chili. If a recipe involves chili powder and cumin, I am always game. I am also a big fan of the crock pot. When you can throw all the ingredients in a pot and walk away for several hours and then come back to dinner, you always win.
That’s basically what this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is. A warm cozy chili that you can toss in the crock pot and be done. In fact, I find more and more that if you tell me a recipe is not much more than dump and go, my ears perk up right away!
I can’t get enough sweet potatoes–ever
Adding sweet potatoes to chili was new to me the first time I tried testing out this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili but now I never ever seem to want chili without them. This chili is packed with veggies and beans and so much flavor–I hope it will very soon become one of your favorite chilis as well!
Every time I make this recipe, I look forward to eating leftover chili all week. I actually freeze this chili in individual servings so I can even eat it for weeks on end!
Things to Note about this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili:
- The best way to tell if this chili is ready is by the sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are soft, you are basically good to go. I like to make sure as many of the sweet potatoes as possible are on the bottom of the pot so that they are more likely to evenly soften.
- Truth be told, I have made this chili a million times at least–it freezes really really well. I put it in individual servings snd then pull them out when I need a cozy meal and don’t feel like cooking.
- You can add some meat into the mix if you would like–I do quite often to make the hubby happy. When I add ground beef or turkey, I cook it in a skillet first and then add it in. If you find the chili to be a bit too thick once adding meat in, add an extra can of tomato sauce.
- Feel free to play around with spiciness of this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili. Toss in some hot sauce, dice up a jalapeño or add some cayenne. Tossing in some smoked paprika is also a great idea if you want a smoky flavor.
- I like my chili very very thick and hearty. In order to get this slow cooker sweet potato chili really thick, I scoop out a bit before serving and toss it in the blender until smooth. Then I add it back in to the chili and stir it in for a thicker consistency.I have even made this chili without the broth at all and loved it as well. When I omit the broth, I sometimes add a bit more tomato sauce if it seems to be dry.
Looking for more chili or soup recipes? I have got you covered! Give these a shot as well:
Siracha Lime White Chicken Chili
Butternut Squash Chili
Pumpkin Quinoa Chili
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Tomato Tortellini Soup {Stove Top and Slow Cooker Variations}
Simple Slow Cooker Lentil Chili
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup
DID YOU MAKE ONE OF MY RECIPES? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! I ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEMONS + ZEST RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA–TAG ME @LEMONSANDZEST ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes skin removed and cut into cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1- 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz.)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 bell pepper, diced (any color works!)
- 1 medium zucchini (optional) chopped
- 1 T cumin
- 1 T chili powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- salt and pepper to taste (I add about 1/2 tsp each)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours or until sweet potatoes are soft.
- Optional: In order to get a thicker consistency, I spoon out about 1-2 cups of chili and blend it in the blender until smooth. Then I put them back into the slow cooker and stir. This makes the chili nice and thick. Feel free to add ground turkey or beef as well.
- Serve with shredded cheese, avocado or a bit of cilantro. This is even better the second day so leftovers are a bonus!
Nutrition
Don’t forget to slow down and savor the moment (and the soup as well!).
One of my all time favorite recipes! This is the best chili in my book!
Thanks Liz!!! We live on it all fall!
I am so looking forward to chili and soup season. It’s still a bit warm here. sweet potatoes are always amazing in chili
It suddenly took a turn in the weather this week and we are back in the 90s–hoping this doesn’t stick around too long!
One thing I love about fall, is I finally get to bust out the slow cooker! And looks like the first thing I’m going to cook is this chili! Looks so comforting 🙂
Comfort food at its best–happy fall!
SWeet potato is such a yummy addition to chili! Now I”m totally ready to make a batch for fall. I bet this tastes amazing.
I can’t make chili without sweet potatoes anymore!
Yum, this sounds so delicious! I love using my slow cooker and I can’t wait to try this chili recipe!!
Slow cookers are the very best right??
So excited that it’s chili season again! The best fall meal. Can’t wait to break out the slow cooker for this one!
Seriously! Chili season is the very best!
What a great way to warm up this fall! A major hit with our family!
Yum! I have a 3 bean sweet potato chili recipe, too, but love your addition of the zucchini!
I love love love sweet potatoes on my chili so much!!