The Best Chili Bar!

For my little pumpkin’s first birthday this past weekend, we decided to have a small party with only close friends and family. I know Andrew will never remember and I know the party is really only for me, which I am totally fine with. I called it “I survived the first year party” and it included good food, great desserts, and even mulled wine! Nothing says fall to me like a bowl of chili with a slice of cornbread so decided to have a chili bar. With the help of my mom, we had three kinds of chili: classic five bean chili, turkey pumpkin, and chorizo chili. We used a roaster that had a three tray divider to keep the chili nice and warm. I baked potatoes in a slower cooker for anyone who wanted to put their chili on one. There were also two kinds of homemade corn muffins:  regular and jalapeno and cheddar cheese. To finish the chili bar there was tasty toppings: shredded cheese, red and white onions, and sour cream. I had hot apple cider, peach tea, and mulled spice wine for the drinks.

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​The food was amazing and the main benefit of having a chili bar was everything was able to be made/prepped well in advance. The roasters and slow cookers kept everything perfectly warm so there was no rush or stress. I was able to have a cup of mulled wine and be able to enjoy the time celebrating me surviving the first year! 

Slower Cooker Baked Potatoes:
     Ingredients:
          10-12 Large Russel Potatoes
          Aluminum Foil
          2 Tbsp Olive Oil

     Directions:

1. Brush on a little olive oil on every potato and poke holes using a fork before wrapping them individually in the aluminum foil.
2. Place evenly into a slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low, depending on the size of the potatoes.

Easy Mulled Spice Rice:
     Ingredients:
          2 Bottles of Red Wine
          1 Orange and 1 Apple sliced in rounds
          1/2 tsp Ground All Spice
          1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

     Directions:

1. Place the orange and apple slices into a slow cooker.
2. Add the seasonings and pour in the wine.
3. Cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low.
4. Serve in a mug and add cinnamon stick and fresh orange and apple slices if desired.