Southwest Champion Chili

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cute into 3/4 inch chunks
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, coarsly chopped
• 1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped (1 or 2 jalapenos works fine if you can't fine chipotle peppers)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) can beer (miller lite, etc. work fine)
• 1 lb stew meat, works fine if you like meat in yours... season to taste

Recipe

• 1 in a small nonstick skillet, toast chili powder, cumin, salt, and oregano over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until spices are fragrant. shake skillet occasionally. set aside.
• 2 in a 4-quart dutch oven, cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender. stir in butternut squash, carrot, sweet pepper, and corn. stir in the toasted spice mixture, beans, undrained tomatoes, beer, chipotle pepper, and black pepper.
• 3 bring to boiling; reduce heat. cover; simmer for 30 minutes. stir in zucchini. cover and simmer for 5 minutes more or until zucchini is tender.