Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

How can you have a filling meal without meat? For those of you who are strict meat and potatoes lovers, you may wonder if this is even a feasible task. However, it is! If you fill your meal with foods rich in protein and fiber, you will not only get filled up, but you will stay full longer. This is great if you are trying to lose weight because if you are full you will be less likely to over-indulge between meals.

This chili combines some great ingredients that will give you the protein and fiber that you need to fill you up even though there is no meat in it. Let's look at just a few of the wholesome ingredients in this recipe:
1. Sweet potatoes - full of vitamins, iron, potassium, etc. Read about some of the benefits here.
2. Black beans - high in fiber and protein, plus more
3. Kidney beans - high in fiber and protein, plus more
4. Cinnamon - It is suggested that cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol, among other benefits.

All of the ingredients smelled great as I was putting them together, and the final product tasted great, too. A couple of ingredients may surprise you, but I think you will find that they are a pleasant surprise. The chili had just a slight hint of spice, but if you like spicier food, I'm sure you can just add more chili powder.

The other great thing about this recipe? You can put it all in your slow cooker and then forget about it for a few hours. No slaving over the stove for this one! Plus, this is a great recipe for freezing extra servings for later use.

What ingredient(s) are must-haves in your chili? Post a comment and let me know!

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
from: The Sweets Life
yield: 6 servings (approx. 1 cup each)

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped {Garlic powder works too if you don't have fresh garlic.}
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
kosher salt & black pepper
1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes {I substituted regular diced tomatoes for this due to not haveing fire-roasted.}
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces {or approx. 4 small sweet potatoes}
sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips, for serving {Optional. I didn't use any of these.}

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add chopped onion and pepper. Saute until mostly soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute.
2. Transfer peppers and onions to slow cooker. Add chili powder, gumin, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper. Add cans of tomatoes (with their liquid) and beans. followed by the sweet potatoes. 
3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until sweet potatoes are tender and chili is thick. 
4. If desired, serve chili with sour cream, avocado, cheese, cilantro, and chips, or desired toppings.


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