Doctor & Chef Approved Meat & Vegetable Chili
3 MINUTE TL;DR READ | 10 MINUTE FULL READ
BY: DAVID OLKOVETSKY
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 60 mins | Servings: 10 servings
An Easy & Healthy Recipe The Family Won't Be Able To Get Enough Of
Like many Americans, I feel like I'm constantly dieting. Well, I'm sick of that. I want to eat well, but also eat healthy. So I came up with this recipe early in the pandemic, and I've been tweaking, experimenting, and perfecting it ever since. This meat & vegetable chili (aka medley, as I've been calling it) has loads of protein, vegetables, fiber, and healthy fats. Plus, it's freaking delicious and can be stored in the freezer for months on end, though you won't be able to resist wolfing it down within a week.
Contents:
Ingredients & Tools
Primary Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground chicken
3 bell peppers (one orange, one yellow, and one red), seeded and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
2 zucchini, diced
2 onions, diced or sliced
2 lbs. Idaho potatoes, unpeeled. Diced into 1-inch cubes
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons or rounds
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 head of garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and rough chopped
1 (15 oz.) can of beans (such as kidney, black, or cannellini), drained and rinsed
1 fuji (or other sweet apple) diced into 1/2-inch cubes (optional way to add sweetness)
1-2 cups chicken bone broth (optional)
-
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice (optional - adds acidity, I personally avoid)
Seasonings & Fat:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
2 tablespoons coconut oil (for flavor - optional)
Ground salt
Ground black pepper
Dried thyme
Dried rosemary
Ajika or other spice blend
Paprika
-
Garlic Powder
Tools Required:
Cutting Board
Large non-stick pot or dutch oven
Cast iron or stainless steel skillet (if you choose to cook meat separately - optional)
Sharp knife
Mise en place bowls (for scraps)
Preparation
TL;DR Directions (Short Version):
In a non-stick pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and rough chopped garlic. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir.
-
Add ground meat to the pot. Break up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the meat is browned and cooked through: 10-12 minutes.
Note: the meat can also be cooked separately and added at the end of this recipe. In this case, you would beat an egg and place it in a bowl. Combine with the meat and ensure it is mixed evenly throughout the meat. Add spices. This meat would be cooked in your skillet or cast iron and added to the vegetables once they’ve all cooked through but prior to adding the beans. Adding the meat after means your vegetables are soupier, and that is this author’s preference, though most recipes will call for the meat to be added early in the recipe.
Add diced bell peppers, jalapeño pepper, diced zucchini, and sliced mushrooms to the pot. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid, and stir occasionally. Boil off some of the excess moisture.
Drop in the diced potatoes and the optional diced apple, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Cook for 10 minutes with lid off.
Add the optional chicken bone broth, and optional diced tomatoes with their juice, and spices to the pot. Stir well. Cover the pot and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 10 minutes, uncover the pot and add the drained and rinsed beans. Stir well to combine. Simmer, for an additional 15-25 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding more salt, pepper, or spices to your preference.
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Detailed Meat & Veg Medley Preparation Process
Detailed Directions:
Long-gone are the days of the boring chicken and broccoli ultra-bland meal prep. Enter my personal favorite healthy meal prep — this dish is bursting with flavor, Paleo and Keto friendly, freezes well, and, if that wasn't enough, it's extremely easy to prep. The recipe is also very forgiving in terms of technique. Want to prep everything in one pot, add the meat early. Want your vegetables to be a bit more soupy, cook them and the meat separately. This easy to make meal is heart healthy (we ran it by a prominent heart surgeon) and will leave your tastebuds happy. Let’s get to cooking.
1. Prep your onions, carrots, and garlic
In a non-stick pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and rough chopped garlic. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. TStir.
2. Prepare your meat
Because we are using quite a bit of lean ground meat, it is best to add a binder. One beaten egg is adequate. Feel free to play around with the ground meats you add. My personal favorite is a blend of beef, pork and chicken. Sometimes, I'll do 2 beef and one pork or one turkey, but I always have at least 1# of ground beef for the iron content. Add salt, pepper, garlic, ajika, and any other spices you'd like.
Break up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the meat is browned and cooked through: 10-12 minutes.
Note: the meat can also be cooked separately and added at the end of this recipe. In this case, you would beat an egg and place it in a bowl. Combine with the meat and ensure it is mixed evenly throughout the meat. Add spices. This meat would be cooked in your skillet or cast iron and added to the vegetables once they’ve all cooked through but prior to adding the beans. Adding the meat after means your vegetables are soupier, and that is this author’s preference, though most recipes will call for the meat to be added early in the recipe.
3. Add additional vegetables.
Add diced bell peppers, jalapeño pepper, diced zucchini, and sliced mushrooms to the pot. These vegetables have high water content and you'll eventually want to boil some of it off. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid, and stir occasionally to eliminate some of the excess moisture.
4. Pop in the potatoes.
Drop in the diced potatoes and the optional diced apple, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. We're adding these later on because it is very easy to overcook them. Potatoes and apples don't need much time to cook through. Cook them for 10 minutes with the lid off.
5. Bone broth + (optional) canned tomatoes.
You're going to add chicken bone broth now that the excess moisture from the mushrooms and zucchini have been boiled off. To make this a more traditional chili, add the optional diced tomatoes with their juice, and spices to the pot. This author prefers this chili sans-tomato for a less acidic meal. Stir well and cover the pot. Heat for an additional 10-15 minutes.
6. Add Beans
Uncover the pot and add the drained and rinsed beans. 1 can is perfect. Stir well to combine. Simmer, for an additional 15-25 minutes over low heat.
7. Taste & Season
Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding more salt, pepper, or spices to your preference.
Thats all there is to it. A gargantuan amount of healthy meat and vegetables that works well for meal prep or for a big family meal. To ensure the kids love it, add apple. To store, let cool, containerize, and then freeze. Typical defrost time is about 48 hours, so plan accordingly. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
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