Bison Butternut Squash Chili

My first recipe is one of my favorites! I love the way bison and butternut squash complement each other, and I love to let the crockpot do the work! Here it is:

What you need

• 1 lb. ground bison (You could use ground beef or turkey. But don't. Bison is better!)
• 1-2 lb. butternut squash. These suckers are hard to cut, it is worth it to buy the pre-cubed guys! If you don't, here's how to handle your squash. Be sure to nuke it in the microwave for a couple minutes first!
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed (I made my own)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1-3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 onion, diced small
• small can tomato paste
• 1-2 cans beef or chicken stock/broth, depending on how thick you like your chili
• 3 T. chili powder (to taste)
• 1.5 t. cumin
• 1 T. tabasco sauce (I like the chipotle kind)
• salt and pepper...maybe 1 t. of each?

• sour cream or Greek yogurt and/or diced cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)

What to do
Brown and drain the meat on the stove. If you're really watching fat, drain it in a mesh strainer and rinse.

Dump the meat and all other ingredients (except sour cream and cheese) into the crock! Don't worry, it will look more appetizing when it's cooked!

Go to work, run errands, do whatever it is you do. Since the meat is already cooked, this is done when the squash is tender. If you cook it all day, it will be delicious, but the squash will probably be falling apart a bit. I'm going to cook it for 3-4 hours on high, 6-8 on low would work too. Garnish and enjoy!

How it turned out/what I'd change
I was really happy with how this turned out. Nice heat but not overpowering the flavors. If I had bell peppers, I would've added those, and maybe some other veggies to clean out the crisper drawer! (Unfortunately it was already pretty well cleaned out!). I'm pretty sure this will be even better tomorrow-YUM!