This family favorite recipe for Pumpkin Chili always makes an appearance at our annual fall party and for good reason too – it’s delicious!
Last weekend we had our annual Harvest Party. A fun gathering of friends that includes food, fun and a tractor ride several times around the yard for the little ones. I always enjoy the prep for this shindig and usually have the menu planned several weeks in advance.
This year’s menu included the following:
Pumpkin Chili
Freshly Baked Rolls
Black Bean Salsa/Chips
Salted Caramel Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Pumpkin Cream Tart with Oreo Crust
Cider Punch – Apple Cider and Ginger Ale mixed together
Hot Apple Cider
I’ve been making Pumpkin Chili for several years and decided it was high time for a photo update for this delicious recipe. I absolutely love chili and I know that there are as many variations of it as there are people who make it. But this is one of my very favorites. It did win 1st place in our church’s chili cook-off a couple years back, which pretty much makes it worth the try 😉 Loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, beans and bell peppers, I love what pumpkin puree adds to the texture and color of this chili. Lastly, yes, this is a long ingredient list, but if you can chop a few peppers, open some cans and measure spices, you’ve got this. And there will be plenty to feed your favorite crowd.
Join us!
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- 1 lb. GROUND BEEF
- SALT
- ½ of a small ONION, chopped
- 3 cloves of GARLIC, minced
- ½ of a RED PEPPER, chopped
- 1 JALAPENO PEPPER, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 POBLANO OR BANANA PEPPER, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 can KIDNEY BEANS, drained
- 1 can CHILI BEANS
- 1 can BLACK BEANS, drained and rinsed
- 1 can FIRE ROASTED DICED TOMATOES
- 1 can DICED TOMATOES
- 1 can ROTEL TOMATOES
- 1 can TOMATO SOUP
- 1 (tomato soup) can of WATER
- 1 cup PUMPKIN PUREE
- 1½ Tablespoon CUMIN
- 1 Tablespoon CHILI POWDER
- ¼ teaspoon CAYENNE PEPPER
- ¼ teaspoon BLACK PEPPER
- ½ teaspoon SALT (or to taste)
- In a large pot, add ground beef and sprinkle liberally with salt. Break up with spoon, let cook over medium heat until browned. Turn over and let brown on other side. You want the meat not just to be cooked, to actually be golden brown – it adds a lot of flavor.
- Add onion, garlic and all of the peppers. Cook until tender.
- Dump in the beans, tomatoes, soup, water and pumpkin. Stir to combine.
- Add spices. Stir again. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes to an hour. Stirring occasionally. (Alternatively, you could put everything in the crock pot after cooking the meat/onion/peppers and cook on low for a few hours.)
- Remove from heat. Let cool and place in fridge overnight. Reheat on stove top or in crock pot if desired. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and fritos (our favorite).
*Feel free to use whichever combination of peppers you have on hand.
*Getting the meat REALLY brown is important as it adds another layer of flavor to the chili.
*It will be great if you eat it right away, but it will be better if you leave it overnight. Letting it sit overnight helps the flavors to come together.
Because chili is my favorite…
This sounds yummy, but is there something I could substitute for the canned tomato soup? We don’t use canned soup in our home… thanks for any suggestions!
You could replace it with an 8 oz. can of regular tomato sauce. Enjoy!
Perfect! Thank you for responding… ant wait to try this.