Talk Macros to Me

It’s hard to believe I haven’t shared recipes with the kids names in the title before now because when we talk about what we’re having for dinner, many of my recipes have nicknames. This recipe is all Ryder. I created it with him in mind and make it frequently because the whole family loves it, but Ryder especially enjoys it.

Ryder went though a period where he wanted one thing and one thing only – a black bean, guacamole and cheese burrito. When I say it’s the only thing he would eat, i mean it’s the only thing – Breakfast, lunch and dinner! When we dined out he would ask if he could just have a chipotle burrito when we get back home.

I started chopping up other foods and mixing them into the guacamole just to get some extra nutrients in, but it was a little trickier to get him to try anything with meat and I wanted to make sure he was also getting heme iron in his meals.

I tried a lot of recipes and although he was willing to try a few bites he would eventually ask for a chipotle burrito so when he devoured this chili recipe and asked for a second bowl, I was excited to finally have a win. Winner winner. Chicken dinner!

This recipe incorporates his favorite – black beans. The beans give it a really rich hearty flavor and do great cooking in the crock pot. They are high in fiber so it’s great for keeping you full for hours.

This recipe combines beef and red bell pepper to get the maximum iron benefit as vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.

I’m listing this recipe with 93% ground beef, but you can swap out for any ground meat of your choice. I frequently make this with 93% ground turkey, bison or Lou’s bow caught venison.

Wuju hot sauce is a must for me when it comes to chili. It’s a little more sweet than spicy, but it adds so much flavor to the chili and balances out the tartness from the Greek yogurt perfectly.

Ingredients

• 2lb 93% ground beef
• 1 white onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 2 cup frozen corn
• 2 cans black beans, drained 
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon puréed garlic
• 1 can fire roared diced tomatoes
• Optional toppings: Greek yogurt, finely chopped red onion, cilantro, cheese, Siete chips, wuju hot sauce

Directions(if you have a crock pot that sautés you can do steps one and two in the crock pot. Use a spoon to remove some of the excess oil from browning beef. )

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add beef and continually break up until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned beef to crock pot.
2. Wipe out and heat pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm for 30 seconds. Add onion and bell pepper and sauce for two minutes. Add garlic and sauce for 30 more seconds. Transfer to crock pot.
3. Add cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, bay leaves, black beans, frozen corn and can of tomatoes.
4. Cook on low for 2.5 hours.
5. Remove bay leaves and discard.
6. Serve and top with your favorite toppings. Ryder loves his topped with shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, and Siete chips.