Saturday, October 16, 2010

Pumpkin chili recipe

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Pumpkin beef chili keeps you warm all day

Chili is always a hit in our house, and we have several favorite recipes. When I'm feeling ultra-lazy I doctor up the version on the back of the chili spice mix envelope and make "Cheater's Chili." When I'm really lucky (as I was this week), Michael makes a batch of his famous chili bianco, a white chili with chicken and/or pork, white beans, tomatillos and cilantro.

And then sometimes I experiment with variations on the genre, as with this pumpkin chili. When I first made it last year I managed to mistake ground chipotle powder for regular chili powder, and it was delicious but ultra-spicy. This year I got it right. If you prefer chili that takes off the top of your head, feel free to add more spicy stuff.

Notes: This recipe can be made either on the stove or in a slow cooker; I've included instructions for both. If you've made a big pot and are wondering how else to repurpose the leftovers, they're a great addition to a chilaquiles casserole or a simple quesadilla.

Pumpkin chili with beef
  • 3 lbs ground beef
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 3 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp salt, or to taste
  • tortilla chips and shredded cheese (for garnish)
If you're planning to cook the chili on the stove, start with a large pot. If you're using a slow cooker, start with a large skillet.

In the appropriate vessel, brown the ground beef until no pink remains, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and bell peppers and saute another 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir briefly.

Slow cooker: Put the beef mixture into the slow cooker along with the pumpkin puree, tomato paste, beans, spices and salt; stir to combine. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.

Stovetop: Add the pumpkin puree, tomato paste, beans, spices and salt to the pot; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer covered 2-3 hours. If the chili looks too dry, add a little water.

Serve hot, topped with shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips. Makes enough for a very large gathering plus leftovers.

18 comments:

Diane Schmidt said...

Sure sounds great on a fall evening like this. Love cheater recipes :)

Monet said...

Erika, This sounds so good! I've been adding pumpkin to just about everything, but I haven't thought about Chili until today. Thank you for sharing. And thank you so much for all your kind words on my blog...your thoughts and prayers during this time are so appreciated.

Erika Kerekes said...

@Diane - me too!

@Monet - I made pumpkin short ribs for dinner...with cumin and chinese 5-spice powder...WOW. Possibly the best pumpkin dish I have ever had. As for the thoughts and prayers for Baby Ryan, they're still coming. What a nightmare....

LimeCake said...

gosh pumpkin is everywhere! kinda wish it was fall in Australia too! this looks delicious!

Caroline Q said...

What a great idea! Our Chamber of Commerce (Big Bear) just had a chili cook off, but there was nothing like this.

David made his signature ginger-spiced chili (people thought it was a chocolate mole sauce.) Pumpkin and the cinnamon would be even better.

Now, to try a vegetarian version.......

Megan said...

I love pumpin in any form and this sounds perfect for chili ;) days. Leftovers would be great on a baked potato too!

Cookin' Canuck said...

The thought of pumpkin and chipotle powder together sounds perfect! What a hearty, flavorful chili.

Lana @ Never Enough Thyme said...

I'm quite sure that I've never had a chili that contained pumpkin puree, but how delicious it sounds! I also make a cheater's chili when it's been too long a day and have several other chili recipes for days when there is more time. I also make a fantastic vegetarian chili, but nothing quite like this one. Can't wait to give this a try!

Unknown said...

Love this - I need to go buy some ground beef. I'm always trying to find an excuse to incorporate pumpkin into my food. Thanks for posting! ~Alise

Pretty. Good. Food. said...

I love all of the pumpkin recipes I've been seeing all over the internet! This one for chili sounds delicious :)!

Laura said...

You are so creative with pumpkin! I absolutely love pumpkin but honestly never thought to use it for anything other than desserts or maybe in a pasta/sage type dish. Thanks for the inspiration!

glutenfreeinthe713.blogspot.com

Josephine Nicole said...

Made this tonight, big hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS SO MUCH!

Kel said...

By any chance did you use canned diced tomatoes as well?

After getting all of my ingredients into the pot, there was nothing to bring to a boil; I added diced, undrained tomatoes.

Looking forward to dinner tonight!

Erika Kerekes said...

@Josephine - so glad everyone liked it!

@Kel - I made mine in the slow cooker and did not need extra liquid. Maybe my beef and vegetables gave off more juice than yours did, and in general the slow cooker needs less liquid than cooking stovetop. Which way did you do yours? There's certainly no harm in adding diced tomatoes. I'm sure it was delicious!

Kel said...

I prepared mine on the stove top. It was fantastic!! I loved the creaminess the pumpkin added.

Thank you for the recipe!

Caroline said...

Thank you for sharing your recipe! It was definitely a hit at our house! The perfect Fall comfort food. :-)

Cookin' Cowgirl said...

Yum Yum Yum!! This looks amazing! I love pumpkin!

I'm having my first linky party on my blog and the theme is pumpkin. I'd like to invite you to come link up your favorite pumpkin recipe. The link is open until Wednesday at midnight, so please stop by and say hi.

http://cookincowgirl.blogspot.com/2011/07/pumpkin-blog-hop.html

~Cookin' Cowgirl

liza said...

nice post

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