Welcome fall! Tis the season for pumpkin patches, apple picking, bonfires, football, and let’s not forget…. CHILI! Let’s not stop there though. We’re going with pumpkin chili! I’m not even going to think about the fact that it’s forecasted to be near 90 degrees this week in southern Indiana- I’m gonna think happy fall thoughts and roll with it.
A few years ago, when I first played with this recipe, I was skeptical. I’m not one for “sweet” chili, but this recipe has enough heat to make it a bowl of sweet and spicy perfection- That makes it a win in the Fory household!
Even if you’re not a pumpkin fan I think you’ll like this chili. Really all the pumpkin does is add an element of thickness to it, and of course more vitamins too! You can play with the amount of sweetness or heat you add to the chili as well. If you like a lot of heat, you can add an extra can of green chilis or extra chili powder. If you are a sweet chili fan (I guess we can still be friends), you can add some extra cinnamon or even some honey.
Ingredients:
46 oz. tomato juice (I do not use all of this- I like a thicker chili)
2 lbs. grass fed ground beef
15 oz. pumpkin pure
2 bell peppers chopped (your choice of color)
1 small onion, diced
1 small can green chilis
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (regular diced will work also)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1-2 tbsp. chili powder (I almost 2)
Directions:
First, you'll need to chop your onion and peppers. (I keep the pepper chunks a good size so they make the chili a little chunkier- you don't want them too tiny) After you're finished with your chopping you can throw the beef, peppers and onion into your large stock pot and start to cook them all together. Of course, drain your beef after it is cooked through and then you'll be ready to add your other ingredients.
Drain your tomatoes, and add all of your other ingredients together- using only HALF of the tomato juice. I like to check the consistency and thickness before adding any more. You can also add smaller amounts of the seasonings and keep adding until you've found what you like heat and sweetness wise.
Stir well and continue to let it simmer for the next 30 minutes to an hour. You can eat it as soon as it's mixed really, but we all know soups and stews are better with time. In fact, I cannot wait to eat this pumpkin goodness tonight! Planning to drench a baked potato with it! YUM!
Of course, you may get all the questions and comments from your kids- "Where's the noodles?" or "I don't see any beans in this." I know I got all the questions! You can definitely add those things in too if you like. My kids eventually zipped it and licked their bowls clean in the end. They survived!
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