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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