2-for-1 Recipes for Cool Autumn Nights: Creamy White Bean Chili & Mediterranean Gnocchi

2-for-1 Easy Recipes for Cool Autumn Nights

Feel that autumn chill in the nighttime air?  Here in Northern Michigan and it's time to break out some of our easiest, soul warming recipes.  These two tasty recipes are a couple of our go-to's while traveling in Hamlet, or even camping in the backcountry.  Both are 1 pan meals that can easily be made on a 1 or 2 burner stove.  Since they use similar, mostly shelf stable ingredients, you to make either one -- depending on what your taste buds are cravin'. 

Creamy White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Great Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• ½ large red onion, diced

• 4-5 cocktail (or 8-10 grape) tomatoes, diced

• ½ bag of spinach or argula

• 1 8 oz jar sundried tomatoes in oil, julliened

• ½ cup half n half

• 1-2 tsp dried oregano

• 1-2 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp red chili flakes

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Feta cheese, crumbled (to taste)

Instructions:

• Pour oil from sundried tomatoes into a deep skillet and add onions.  Saute until soft, then, add garlic and all spices and cook for another couple minutes, stirring regularly to ensure the spices don’t stick to the skillet.  

• Add beans and sundried tomatoes, stir gently until all the spices are mixed in.

• Add half-n-half, fresh spinach/arugula, and fresh tomatoes and stir..  Cook for another couple of minutes, until spinach has softened and tomatoes have warmed.

• Top with feta cheese and serve immediately with some crusty garlic bread to make this comfort food even cosier.  

• Serves 3-4 hungry campers, but makes great leftovers, too.

Mediterranean Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 1 package shelf-stable gnocchi

• ½ large red onion, diced

• 4-5 cocktail (or 8-10 grape) tomatoes, diced

• ½ bag of spinach or arugala

• 1 4 oz jar sundried tomatoes in oil, jullienned

• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, sliced

• 1/2 can whole artichokes, quartered

• 1-2 tsp oregano

• 1-2 tsp basil

• 1 tsp red chili flakes

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

• Feta or fresh Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Instructions:

• Pour oil from sundried tomatoes into a deep skillet and add gnocchi. Saute until lightly browned, then stir in chopped onions. Saute until onions are soft, then add garlic, sundried tomatoes, and all spices and cook for another couple minutes, stirring regularly to ensure the spices don’t stick to the skillet.  

• Stir in fresh spinach/arugula, fresh tomatoes, artichokes, and olives. Cover and steam until spinach has softened and tomatoes and olives are warm.

• Top with crumbled feta or freshly grated Parmesan and walnuts, then serve immediately. 

• Serves 3-4 hungry campers.

For a complete list of all of our yummy camp recipes, click here.