Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili

(This recipe is a contribution to Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Thursday Link-Up. Please click the link to find more great inexpensive whole food recipes and other homesteading tips)

This Butternut Squash Chili recipe is probably one of the easiest and most satisfying recipes I came up with while on the Whole30 program. There are many variations on this dish you can find on the Internet, but this combo best suited my budget and time restrictions. I can prepare this chili before I go to work in the morning, and its ready to eat by the time I get home. I recently added chicken livers to this recipe because it stretches the meal a bit, and it also adds nutritional value. Feel free to adjust this recipe to your own palate by changing spices, meats, or vegetables.

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef (I prefer 80/20)
1/2 lbs chicken livers
1 16oz bag of frozen butternut squash
1 10oz bag of frozen onion and pepper blend
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chili sauce
2 tbsp hot sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheese, Avocados, Chopped Onions, or whatever else you like to dress your chili with

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and livers with salt and pepper in slow cooker (if you have a "brown" setting), or in a skillet over medium-high heat
2. If browned in a skillet, return meat to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low setting.
3. Taste chili and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve with preferred toppings and eat up!