In the thick of winter, hearty, warming meals that stick to your ribs are just what the doctor called for.

Snowy weekends and slushy afternoons are best treated with a good dose of sweet and spicy chili.  This is hunker down food, and it also hits the spot after a day spent out in the cold.

Quick & easy meal ideas.

While I know that chili can benefit from a day spent simmering on the stove, a flavourful pot of chili can be made in less than an hour. And chili is one of those dishes that can be made with pantry staples so doesn’t require a load of planning.

With these three chili recipes – a vegetarian black bean chili, chili on a bun (also known as Sloppy Joes) and black bean turkey chili – you’ll see that there is a chili recipe to please everyone at your table. I have also included a recipe for sweet potato wedges, a vegetable side dish that suits chili more than any other vegetable.

Three Chili Recipes:

Mom’s Black Bean Turkey Chili: Hearty and filling with a combination of beans & turkey. Also, turkey is a healthier substitute for ground beef. (If you prefer ground beef in your chili simply substitute it for the ground turkey.) Ground chicken works in this recipe too.

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili: A meatless dish that’s as satisfying as a traditional chili recipe. I prefer black beans in this recipe because they’re smaller than kidney beans. You can load this recipe up with vegetables too.

Turkey Sloppy Joes (Chili on a bun): A good change of pace when my kids are tired of eating supper out of a bowl. You can serve the mixture on baked sweet potatoes if the bun base doesn’t appeal to you.

Sweet Potato Wedges: Every bowl of chili could use an extra side of vegetables. This recipe for sweet potato wedges suits chili well, and is tasty on its own too.

One more thing…

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Make this recipe delicious with Crosby's Molasses.