I'm a big fan of one-pot meals that have meat and veggies in them. They're easy, they're quicker, they mean less clean-up, and I can make them when I have free time in the afternoon and reheat them when Rob gets home and we're ready for dinner. This super simple Paleo chili is one of my favorites--I make it almost once a week!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• About a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 green or red peppers (or one of each), chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• About 2 pounds grass-fed beef
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• One large can (about 28 ounces) of crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toppings (included but not limited to): green onion, bacon, jalapenos, sliced radishes 

Instructions:

1. Place a large pot over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil and add garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper and let everything cook until it starts to brown.
2. Add the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin. Combine well and add crushed tomatoes once the meat begins to brown.
3. Add the green/red peppers, give it a stir, and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes or until you're ready to serve. If you're making it ahead of time, simply refrigerate until ready and throw it back on the stove later.
4. Serve with toppings! I like green onions and pickled jalapenos but this time I added radishes and some thick-cut bacon. You could also do full-fat shredded cheddar and/or sour cream if you eat dairy. Enjoy!

Mezzetta recently asked me to use a few of their products to share a recipe associated with a favorite holiday memory, and immediately I thought about my family and some friends gathering around the island in my parents' kitchen for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. It's my favorite part of every holiday--especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For Thanksgiving we often make Cosmopolitans, which are delicious but a bit sweet, and from time to time we've been known to shake up a few rounds of Lemon Drop Martinis, which are practically a dessert on their own. When it comes to eating and drinking around the holidays, I'm a big fan of a dirty martini with vodka--it's fancy but straightforward, and its salty olive flavor goes so well with a nice antipasto platter, which is one of my mom's specialties. I've included both recipes for you below. Enjoy!

Really Dirty (Kind of Filthy) Martini

Ingredients:

• One part vodka
• One and a half parts juice from Mezzetta Martini Olives Marinated in Dry Vermouth (If you like your martinis less dirty, just do one part--or less--of olive juice.)
• Ice
• Two or three olives, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Place vodka and olive juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well until the shaker is really cold.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a toothpick loaded with olives.
3. Enjoy with snacks and some people you really like.

Antipasto Platter

Any or All of the Following Ingredients:

• Pepperoncini/Banana Peppers
• Olives
• Pickles
• Marinated Roasted Red, Yellow, or Orange Peppers
• Salami, Pepperoni, and/or Mortadella
• Any assortment of cheese--Parmesan, Gouda, Brie, Manchego, etc.
• Crackers and/or Bread

Thanks to Mezzetta for sponsoring this post. Get a coupon for $.50 off and enter to win a Mezzetta Holiday Favorites Gift Basket right here! Thank you so much for your support as I work with advertisers this holiday season.

Photos by Sarah Gatrell of Photo + Love.

As I'm sure you would expect from a Paleo eater, I'm a pretty big fan of sweet potatoes; but the truth is that I don't eat them at home very often--other than baking chips in the oven, I don't really do too much with them. But over the weekend, I made some sweet potato hash browns as part of an at-home brunch and they were delicious and easy, so I'm sharing the recipe with you here today!

Ingredients:

• One to two sweet potatoes, chopped or diced EDIT: I originally made these really thin (as you can see from the photos, but now I prefer them diced--see here.)
• Two tablespoons of ghee
• One to two cloves of garlic, crushed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In your largest pan, melt the ghee over medium-high heat.
2. Add sweet potatoes and mix around so all sides of them get covered with ghee. Spread out into an even layer and let cook for a few minutes.
3. Stir the sweet potatoes and spread back into an even layer. Let cook for a few more minutes.
4. Repeat step 3 until all sides are crunch and golden-brown. Be patient (it took mine almost fifteen minutes), but keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
5. Serve with fried eggs, or whatever else you might want for breakfast!