Soup Chick®

Chocolate stout chili, from Use Real Butter

Like Jen at Use Real Butter, I've never tasted chocolate stout, but when I first saw her recipe for chocolate stout chili, I thought molé plus chili, and I'm sure I would love that. Ask for chocolate stout at your local liquor store, or use any dark stout (and, maybe, toss a small square of dark chocolate or some unsweetened cocoa powder into the chili pot?). Here in Rhode Island, it's still chilly enough for chili, no matter that the calendar calls it Spring. I'm going to look for a bottle of chocolate stout and give this recipe a try.

Crockpot pumpkin chili with ground beef, black beans, and kidney beans, from Kalyn's Kitchen

When canned pumpkin went on sale in October, did you stock up? In my town, canned pumpkin flies off the supermarket shelves as suddenly as it appears, and when it goes on sale, I buy ten cans for ten dollars, even though, at the time, it seems like a huge amount of pumpkin. Throughout the year, I'm glad to have it, especially when I find recipes like this Crockpot pumpkin chili with ground beef, black beans, and kidney beans, from Kalyn's Kitchen. The pumpkin adds sweetness and helps to thicken the chili, which Kalyn bumped up with lots of peppery goodness from the spice rack. Serve this with tortilla chips, if you must, but for me, it's perfect on its own.

Cuban inspired pork chili, from Coconut & Lime

Just because I don't eat pork doesn't mean that I want you to miss out on great recipes, and this Cuban inspired pork chili from Coconut & Lime sounds like one of those recipes you'll be glad to have in your repertoire. Some versions of chili cook all day, but this one comes together in less than an hour. Use canned hominy, easy to find in the supermarket, and frozen fire-roasted corn, which I buy at Trader Joe's. You can make the chili ahead and reheat, or freeze it in small containers to have for lunch at work.