Revamping my favorite recipes...

I'm a high school art teacher. Everyone wants to cut our jobs, so I have to prove myself somehow, aside from the normal gold key art shows and full ride scholarship offers. No. I have to really prove my worth. So tomorrow, I'm entering a chili cookoff at my school to help feed a staff of 120 for parent/teacher conferences. I have an all time favorite chili recipe, but alas, it's not Paleo. So I'm revamping the original recipe to meet my health goals. Here is my Paleo Autumn Harvest Chili. Enjoy.

Pre cooking disclaimer: This is NOT a weeknight chili. While the cooking time is minimal, the chopping time is 30-40 minutes alone. I also doubled my recipe to feed more poor starving educators, so my photos may look more bountiful than your actual creation. It does impress though and you have my permission to bring it to ANY chili cookoff and take full credit. Unless you win money. Then I take a 20% cut.

Paleo Autumn Harvest Chili:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Coconut Oil
1 1/2 lbs Apple Chicken Sausage
6 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized chunks (about 6 cups)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and chopped into bite sized bits (save a handfull for garnish)
1 tablespoon fresh snipped sage

Directions:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until medium brown (about 3-4 minutes if pre-cooked). Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add onions and garlic to oil in pot and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add butternut squash, stir to coat in oil and oniony garlic goodness. Cook about 6 minutes. Stir in chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute. Return sausage to pan and add broth; bring to boiling; then reduce heat.  Simmer, covered for 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in medium sized skillet, heat remaining oil over medium high heat. Cook apple slices in hot oil for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until light brown. Transfer apples to chili. Simmer for about 8 minutes, until apples are tender. Top with fresh snipped sage and extra apple slices. Serve and devour.

4. Serve at chili cook off. Kick ass. Take names. 

Cooking tip: Keep your handy dandy Newfoundland around to clean up any delicious morsels that may have accidentally hit the ground while cooking.