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This simple veggie packed bruschetta plus my favorite “set it and forget it” sweet potato chili will warm you up while you ride out the rest of Winter with a full belly!
Everyone has their own staples when it comes to cold weather recipes. I certainly have mine, and I’m sharing two of them with you today! First up is my favorite veggie chili recipe, and it’s about as easy as you will ever find – you can actually walk away from it while it makes itself. Crazy? Nope! It is hearty, rich, and bursting with flavor, and because it calls for mostly cans and fresh produce, the steps are minimal. Instead of writing it out I am sharing a quick how-to video, so check it out below.
Wasn’t that easy? The thing about this chili is that you can be very liberal with ingredients. Don’t worry about exact measurements, as the fun of it is making it easy, and I promise it will taste perfect either way!
*TIP ALERT!* Here are a few hacks I used in these recipes. They aren’t much, but they will help you cut time, save money, and overall give you an easier experience. Here they are:
- Fresh ingredients are great, but when you’re in a time crunch or don’t want to bring out everything but the kitchen sink, use cans! I cut out significant time and dirty dishes by using canned Hunt’s, RO*TEL, Rosarita, WOLF, or any other cans I find, and they taste fabulous.
- Do you know what kind of bread is best for recipes? Stale bread! It is crispier and holds up better in recipes that require toppings or dipping. So, next time you’re making bruschetta (or countless other recipes with bread as an ingredient) shop the clearance area. The bread is still good, it’s just a little past its softness window. Plus, you’ll save a little cash because they are usually discounted!
- Can’t find any stale bread? That’s okay – just buy it the day before and let it sit out overnight. It will be the perfect texture by the time you are ready for it.
Next up is one of my favorite appetizers of all time, and I always serve it with my chili. Why? Because I usually have leftover tomatoes that I don’t want to go to waste, and I also love a little snack while I’m waiting for it to cook. It is just as simple, and big on flavor. So, here we go!
You will need:
- 1 can RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies or Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes of your choice
- 2-3 small diced sweet peppers
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- hand full of chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella
- pepper to taste
- balsamic vinegar (any desired amount)
- stale bakery bread, any kind
First drain your tomatoes and pour them into a large bowl. I know a lot of people use fresh tomatoes for their bruschetta recipes, but when I’m in the mood for something quick I really don’t want to have to take the time to wash/dice/clean/etc. so canned tomatoes are my heroes here. I personally use RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies because they have a little kick, but you can tone it down a bit and use plain Hunt’s Fire Roasted or Roasted Garlic diced tomatoes for a milder flavor. But seriously, canned products plus fresh produce? You can’t go wrong!
Add in your diced peppers, onions, and fresh basil.
To finish it off, cut your fresh mozzarella, toss it in, and give it a stir.
I could totally eat that by the spoonful. Just look at those perfect, juicy tomatoes and that basil goodness. YUM! But, we have one more step – the bread! My absolute favorite place to get bakery bread is from Walmart. Seriously, they have hands down the tastiest bread with tons of different varieties. For my bruschetta I love using regular French bread or a baguette, but any bread will do. (Don’t forget to make sure it’s firm!) Slice it into 1/2 inch pieces, heap on a generous amount of your topping mixture, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Now you’re ready to eat! And p.s. you should totally make extra, because you’re going to need it!
Find more easy to make recipes that are perfect during the cold winter months by visiting this link: Yes You Can Recipes! You can find everything you need for these recipes at your local Walmart.
