Rainbow Chili (Vegetarian option)

I probably have a half a dozen chili recipes and yet I created another one last night. Chili has always been a big hit in our house - especially to those kids who "don't like beans." I have converted many a non-beaner with this basic recipe. Soups, stews and other hearty one pot meals are great avenues to stretch the palates of opinionated eaters. It is important to chop your vegetables in a uniform way so that nothing really "sticks"out. Also, serving this over rice or noodles, not only stretches the recipe but also gives the kids a familiar taste to pair with the new one. Check out this chili recipe and let me know what you think.

Rainbow Chili

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey (can be omitted for vegetarian)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lg. onion chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

1/2 red pepper chopped

1/2 zucchini chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 stalk of celery chopped

1 lg. clove of garlic minced

1 tsp. general steak seasoning (McCormick would work)

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of navy beans (white beans) NOT rinsed

2 c. beef or vegetable stock (chicken broth will also work)

1 tsp. chocolate chips (my secret ingredient)

Heat olive oil in large pot and brown the beef until very dark. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to get tender. Add all spices and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for one minutes stirring constantly. Add tomato paste - cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, beans and stock. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes once it comes to a boil. Check seasoning - add chocolate chips before serving but stir in so that they are completely melted.

Serve over rice or noodles.

The most important thing about this recipe is the method. You can switch up the meat, veggies, spices and beans but please follow the method for perfect chili every time.

Chewy Baked Oatmeal

So, I've been obsessing a bit about Baked Oatmeal lately - 4 pans in one week and I am finally happy with the recipe. This was popular at the school I used to work at but I never really found a recipe I was 100% happy with. After some trial and error, I finally tweaked the recipe to what I think is the best baked oatmeal ever! My hubby and kids love it - they haven't complained yet and that is all we have been eating for breakfast for a week! I have also tested it among some friends and family. We prefer lots of tasty chunks but feel free to omit anything your family is not fond of. Let me know what you think!

Baked Oatmeal
Makes 6 servings
4 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 c. brown sugar + 1 tbsp to sprinkle on top
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. sweetened coconut
1/2 c. chopped nuts (we prefer pecans)
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter (1 stick melted)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 glass pan. In a large bowl, mix oatmeal, baking powder, brown sugar, spices, raisins, coconut, nuts and chocolate chips. Mix butter, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine until just moistened. Spread into greased pan and sprinkle brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Bake for 35 minutes until edges are just starting to brown.
Serve immediately or later.

This is a chewier version of baked oatmeal. It is a cross between a baked oatmeal and granola. My family eats it both ways - dry - kind of like a granola snack and warm with milk. I would love to hear how your family likes it. Enjoy!

"Souper" Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

I am a huge fan of soups - they comfort you when you are sick, warm you up when you are cold and have a great flexiblity that can tailor to what you have in your kitchen. My mom used to make fabulous soups - making homemade broth and simmering it all day. In my chaotic life, I rarely have time to babysit a pot of soup all day - hence a quick and yummy soup that will comfort, warm and fill you up in about 1/2 hour.

"Souper" Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp - Lawry's salt free seasoning or any kind of salt free seasoning mix
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2-3 chicken breasts, thawed and cubed (you can also use 2c. leftover cooked chicken)
1/2 bag of regular egg noodles
8 cups of chicken broth or stock
4 cups water


In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, all seasoning, and bay leaf for about 7 minutes or until tender. Add chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Add diced chicken and simmer for 4 minutes.* Add noodles, boil for 2 minutes then put a lid on the pot and take it off of the heat. Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes and the soup should be done.

*If you prefer, you can lower the heat and cook the chicken breasts whole, in about 10 minutes. Then pull them from the pot, dice them and add them back in.

Just a side note - you can add a variety of other vegetables in the first step - green beans, zucchini, turnips or corn work well. You could also add a bag of frozen mixed veggies (ie - corn, green beans, carrots, peas).


Hope you enjoy my "Souper" Easy Chicken Noodle Soup. Soups are a great way to "sneak" veggies into kids. The flavorful broth gives the veggies a chicken flavor and they slide right down with the noodles. Another easy way to sneak more nutrients is to finely chop baby spinach and fresh parsley and put it in at the end of cooking. These "herbs" add flavor and nutrients!

Meatloaf Muffins and Spinach with Bacon and Onions

Thought I would start out with a new version of an oldie but goodie. When I first met my husband I was a strict "no meatloaf" kind of girl. Then I tried his family recipe and I was hooked! We have altered it so that it would cook much quicker but the base recipe is still the same. This is not one of my signature "lots-of-veggie" dishes but you can amp that up with the sides. Please notice the sides in this picture are different than the sides I've listed here for you (In the picture are mixed veggies and roasted root vegetables--recipe to come later).
Let me know what you think!


Meatloaf Muffins - recipe makes 12 muffins

1lb ground beef- do not substitute turkey!

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers broken into small pieces

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 425. Mix all ingredients together by hand (kids love to help with this part). If mixture seems a little dry, add a splash of milk. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mounds into a muffin tin. Apply topping - see recipe below.

Topping

1 c. ketchup

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste


Mix all ingredients together - it should be fairly thick - spoon over tops of meatloaf muffins. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until topping is bubbling.


Possible Side Dish - Spinach with Bacon and Onion

This base recipe works well with any green veggie - green beans (canned, frozen or fresh), halved Brussel sprouts, or asparagus. My students as well as my boys all love this recipe. It is a great way to introduce new vegetables in a favorite flavoring - bacon!

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 slices bacon - can be pork or turkey - sliced into thin strips

1 small onion - sliced thin

1 clove garlic - chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flake or hot sauce (optional)

2 cups green vegetable - 1 box of frozen chopped spinach (squeeze out the excess water), or 1 bag fresh baby spinach


In a non-stick pan, put olive oil and bacon - slowly bring to a medium high temperature. This will render out the fat from the bacon. When bacon is crispy, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Drain all but 2 tbsp. of drippings. Add onions and garlic and cook for two minutes. Add spinach and seasonings. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes until veggies are slightly browned. Remove from pan and sprinkle rendered bacon on top.

Welcome to I Bet They'll Eat It!

As I am settling in to my new role as only a homemaker and homeschooling mom, I realized that the Lord was leading me to do more. For seven years, I worked as a primary care giver to 12 students full time plus our own children. As I worked with more than 55 girls, I became passionate about the pursuit of educating children on the basics of nutrition and healthy eating as well as breaking down the "I don't like that." walls that children often put up. I saw the challenge of feeding 15 children up to three meals a day as a way to test the limits of standard kid dishes as well as introduce them to never before experienced flavors. It is through this amazing experience that I built a substantial knowlege base as well as a passion to share this information. Hence, the I Bet They'll Eat It Blog.

My goal with all of my recipes is to present food that kids will actually eat. They are not always low fat or whole grain. I do strive for that but not all recipes can fit into those categories. I am passionate about fruits and vegetables - as a professional primary care giver we made a rule that every meal had a fruit and every lunch and dinner had a vegetable. That is also the rule at my house now. Also, my theory is if you can get a child to at least try it in something else, they will most likely eat it again. Here is another secret - I put vegetables in almost everything! My recipes are proof that if it tastes good enough, the kids will not fuss about a few extra veggies. Try it, you may be surprised!

Here is my vision for this site - biweekly I will post a recipe as well as a list of possible variations. I will also include tips and best practices as well as respond to any questions you may have. Eventually, based on your feedback, I may one day write a book. Please feel free to email me questions and/ or list any food that you have been having trouble getting your child to eat. I hope that you will enjoy the bi-weekly posts, try out the recipes, offer me feedback as well as questions and most of all, pass it on to your family and friends so that we can all invest in the health and well being of our kids. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon!