'Eat Smarter' with this slow cooker beef chili for fall and shop the recipe (2024)

Who doesn't love a hearty fall dinner full of deep flavors that develop with the help of a slow cooker?

For anyone whose cozy comfort-food senses are spiking, Shawn Stevenson -- YouTuber, podcaster and founder of "The Model Health Show" -- has the perfect dish for all those fall feelings.

Stevenson joined "Good Morning America" equipped with two recipes from his new cookbook, "The Eat Smarter Family Cookbook," which has science-backed information alongside each dish to help support a family's mental, physical and social health, all in one place.

Check out the dishes below to recreate at home.

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Slow Cooker Beef Chili

"Few things are as heartwarming as a bowl of chili made by someone you love. This chili is power-packed with veggies. Plus, it features a special star ingredient (cacao!) that’s going to bring everything together and knock your socks off. The ingredient list looks long, but it's fairly simple to throw together, makes a big batch and freezes well!"

Click here to shop the ingredients online.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 80/20 ground grass-fed beef
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup beef bone broth or water
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (don't drain!)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon raw cacao or cocoa powder
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups baby spinach firmly packed, roughly chopped
Garnishes such as grated cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, pickled jalapeños, and fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the avocado oil, onion, and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and starting to brown. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer the veggies to the slow cooker.

Add the ground beef to the Dutch oven. Saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, using a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat into small pieces. When the meat has browned, add the cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, ground chipotle, paprika and cinnamon and cook for another minute. Add the broth to the pan and use the spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Carefully transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker.

Stir in the beans, tomatoes, sweet potato, cacao, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Set the slow cooker to low, cover, and cook for 6 hours.

Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for 5 minutes.

Divide the chili between serving bowls and let people choose their favorite garnishes.

Pumpkin Muffins

"There are two things you need to know about this incredible gluten-free muffin recipe: 1) These muffins taste amazing! ... 2) The unique combination of ingredients helps lower the glycemic load you'd get from typical muffins. If you'd like an extra wow-factor, while they're still warm add a tiny bit of grass-fed butter on top right before you serve them."

Click here to shop the ingredients online.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
1 cup almond flour
1 cup cassava flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup coconut sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 large organic eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tray with 12 paper liners.

Whisk together the almond flour, cassava flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and pumpkin. Crack in the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Whisk in the avocado oil.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a spatula to gently mix everything together.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups and garnish each with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, if using. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

Recipes excerpted from "Eat Smarter Family Cookbook" by Shawn Stevenson. Copyright © 2023 by Shawn Stevenson. Photography By Eva Kolenko. Used with permission from Little, Brown Spark, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company.

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