Today was a super cold, snowy day. The kind of day that you stay in your jammies and throw your dinner in the crock pot…so that’s exactly what we did. And lucky for me, toddlers are super good at dumping ingredients and stirring, so my little helper (B-Man) and I made a batch of chili. Mind you, it was a Vegetarian chili and had to be kid friendly (not too spicy.) So, here’s our recipe!

Sweet and Savory 3 Bean Chili

Here’s the “cast of characters”( said in my best Pioneer Woman voice)-

And not pictured is sugar- a tablespoon helps offset any acidity from canned tomatoes and gives it a little sweetness that’s so yummy!

I opened all the cans and drained the beans, corn, and tomatoes and Brady did the dumping. We added the sugar, half a purple onion, about a tablespoon of chili powder (put more in if you like it spicy!), a half a teaspoon of pepper, and a teaspoon of Cumin. Brady did some stirring and then we set the crockpot on low for about 5-6 hours.

To go along with our Chili and make it more fun for Brady, we made some cheesy cornbread dippers. Basically, you make up your cornbread mix and add a cup of shredded cheddar to the batter. Bake it in an 8×8 pan and let it cool. After it’s cooled completely, cut the bread into thin (about half inch) strips and put on a baking pan. Bake the strips at 350* for about 8 minutes on each side. OR, you can also put the strips on a grill pan with a little butter to give them a little char. Either method makes the cornbread have a nice dippable (is that a word?!) crust that’s perfect for dunking in chili. I actually tried both “crisping” methods and prefer the little bit of char on the ones we made on the grill pan.

Here’s our chili bowls with our favorite toppings- cheese, plain greek yogurt (or sour cream), and green onions. I shredded some pepper jack cheese on mine and Chris’s chili to give it a little extra spice since the chili was a little on the mild side.

Brady ate his chili like it was a dip. He used his cornbread, taco chips and even celery to scoop it up. I wasn’t sure what Nolan would think about it. It wasn’t overly spicy, but there was definitely a little warmth going on. But seriously, he TORE it up. Like, finished his little bowl before any of us did. I love that kid!

Hope everyone in my neck of the woods stayed warm and ate well today!

I noticed the other day that our jar of peanut butter has an expiration date on it. I joked to Chris about how unnecessary that seemed…who has a jar of peanut butter in their pantry long enough that it could expire? Doesn’t everyone finish off a jar every couple of weeks? Apparently not. So this Meatless Monday/ Kids Cook Monday meal is dedicated to our love of peanut butter.

Nolan has yet to try peanut butter- I’m waiting until he turns one to give that super allergen a try; however, Chris, Brady and I love it! It’s such a comfort food. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, dessert, and in this case, dinner. One of my favorite things to make when nothing else sounds good is a Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich. You can use creamy or crunchy PB, but I prefer creamy.

This is a fun meal to get your little one involved in the “cooking.” Even little guys as young as Brady (2 and a half) can use a plastic knife to slice up the bananas. They can also help out with the PB or butter spreading on the bread. If you’re really feeling naughty, throw in some chocolate chips or strawberry slices in between the bread- can you imagine how delish that would be?! Then, mommy or daddy flip the sandwiches on the griddle and “little helpers” can use the shaker to sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar when the sandwiches are done.

While this meal sounds kinda dessert-ish, here’s the good news- you can use whole wheat bread, reduced fat PB, and any fruit you like! How bad can that be? (Said in my best Ina Garten voice.)