I am a busy mommy and wife. I work full time, tend to my two boys, help my husband find his “lost” items, tend to the dog, wash, clean … oh, yeah, and find time to cook wholesome meals for my family. Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love my family. They bring me so much joy, but there are times I wish I had just a few more hours in the day.

To help keep my sanity, I like to make slow-cooker meals at least once a week. The best thing about these meals is that you can literally throw everything into this magical pot, set the timer and go about your merry way until it’s done. Usually, while this chili is cooking, I’m able to tend to my busy “to-do” list and manage to squeeze in a little me time.

This recipe came about when I wanted to make chili and had a random butternut squash on the counter. Come to think about it, I tend to have a lot of random produce around my house. Well, I didn’t want it to go bad, so I thought about using it to make chili. As far as the beanless part — well, beans don’t always agree with my tummy. I love beans, but they don’t always love me, so I have to limit the amount I consume. This Slow Cooker Beanless Butternut Squash Chili turned out great and has made its way to our weekly meal rotation. You won’t even miss the beans, I promise.

Slow Cooker Beanless Butternut Squash Chili. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

Slow Cooker Beanless Butternut Squash Chili

Click here for a printable recipe.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 cans (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 16 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2½ cups of water
• 2 packets chili seasoning mix (1.25 ounce)
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat; add lean ground turkey and onions.
2. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked and onions are tender.
3. In a 6-quart slow cooker, add meat and onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients.
4. Stir to make sure all ingredients are combined, cover and place on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours.
5. When done, spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with parsley if desired. Enjoy.

Recipe notes

Nutritional information (1½ cups): calories 241, carbohydrates 23 grams, fat 7 grams, saturated fat 1 gram, protein 22 grams, fiber 6 grams, sugars 8 grams.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.