Sunday, March 15, 2015

My No-Recipe Pumpkin Chili Recipe

Chili Madness recipes by Jane Butel
Do you love chili but want something a bit different? The solution is to add a can of pure pumpkin to your own recipe. Pumpkin is not only healthy, it also adds a subtle but wonderful additional flavor to your chili. Homemade chili is really pretty easy to make and can be adjusted to your taste.

My No-recipe Pumpkin Chili Recipe


I recently attended a Jeep event that included bringing a food item for a potluck meal. Sounds easy enough, right? But what if you aren't a very good cook? And what if the event is being held in a snow-covered field. Well, I solved the problem of transporting hot food to a cold weather outdoor event.  I just needed a easy recipe that I wouldn't ruin.  How much easier than a no-recipe pumpkin chili recipe could it be?

Ingredients:

Onion
Bell Pepper
1 tube of Sausage ("hot" if I'm cooking for others, "sage" if I'm cooking for myself)
1 lb of ground beef
1 large can of red kidney beans
1 large can of black beans
1 or 2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

spices: chili powder, ground pepper, red pepper powder, and sometimes a bit of old bay powder

IKEA Stock Pot - My favorite kitchen item

directions:

  • dice the pepper and onion into small pieces
  • in a large stock pot, saute the onion and pepper
  • add the sausage and begin browning
  • add the ground beef and brown
  • after the meats are fully cooked, add the red kidney beans and black beans - simmer
  • after some of the bean juice has cooked off, add the can(s) of diced tomatoes.
  • sprinkle with chili powder, ground pepper, red pepper powder and other spices to taste - simmer
  • after the chili has simmered down for awhile, add a can of pure pumpkin
  • you may need to add more spices to taste
  • simmer

If you prefer having a proven chili recipe to follow, Chili Madness is a great recipe book.  I won't be offended if you don't try my no-recipe chili recipe. However, I hope that at some point you try a can of pumpkin in your chili. I believe you will love it as much as I do.  Happy eating!

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3 comments:

  1. A can of pumpkin?!!! Are you serious? I never would have thought to try that, but now I will have to! I have never been much on sticking to recipes and I love that you just discovered a whole new way to make chili! Cool beans!

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  2. I have not used pumpkin in chili, yet, but I do use it in a lot of my one-pot recipes. It is a good thickener as well as adds a flavor of its own that is not readily detectable. Sage sausage would be my preference too.

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  3. Oh I have never used pumpkin in my chili before. I wonder if my family would like it I tried it.

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