By October and I'm living the strange interlude between submitting a manuscript and the next phase of the process. Claire has the book. She'll have edits in four to six weeks. Until then: the channel, the workshops, the school series that started its fourth year, the private lessons, the Provo pantry, the life that continues on all sides of the book.
The channel crossed 320,000 subscribers this week. Autumn cooking always brings a surge — people come back to the kitchen in October and they find the channel and they stay. I posted a video on roasted butternut squash soup that became my most-viewed video since the lockdown posts: 180,000 views in the first week. Something about it landed. The combination of the recipe and how I talked about cooking for cold days, the permission to slow down in October and let the oven do its work for an hour — I think that resonated.
Olivia is sixteen and driving. She asked last week if she could help teach a workshop. Not help set up — help teach. I said yes. She came to the community center session on Tuesday and taught the section on salads while I did the soup. She was confident and clear and answered questions without flinching. One participant said to me afterward, "She's like you." I said, "She's better." I meant it as a compliment to us both.
Ethan has been in Italy for over a year now. Less than a year to go. I'm already thinking about what to cook when he comes home.
The butternut squash soup video reminded me why I love fall cooking so much — it’s the season where a single pot can do everything, where you let the heat do the work and the whole house smells like something good is coming. While I’m still in this quiet in-between stretch, waiting on Claire’s edits and watching Olivia grow into her own confidence in the kitchen, I keep coming back to this chipotle chicken chili. It’s the kind of recipe I’d hand Olivia to teach at a workshop — fast enough not to intimidate, bold enough to make people proud — and it’s exactly what I’m planning to have on the stove the evening Ethan walks back through the door.
20-Minute Chipotle Chicken Chili
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 1 can (15 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (adjust to heat preference)
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Brown the chicken. Add the ground chicken to the pot, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook for 4–5 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink. (If using shredded rotisserie chicken, simply stir it in and skip to the next step.)
- Build the chili base. Stir in the minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute, letting the spices bloom and coat the chicken.
- Add the liquids and beans. Pour in the diced tomatoes, both cans of beans, and the chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle boil.
- Simmer and finish. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens slightly. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with your choice of sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 620mg