On that first really cold fall weekend, where the chill in the air forces you to finally dig your padded winter slippers out of the back of your closet, there is just something so satisfying about making a big pot of chili.
Letting it simmer on the stove, filling the kitchen with a smoky-spicy-delicious aroma.
No matter what dusting or closet-organizing you have not managed to get around to that weekend, suddenly, you have the domesticity thing down.
You have a hearty, comforting, wonderful-smelling, heart-warming pot of delicious food on the stove.
Clearly, you know how to take care of your family.
Your house (or apartment or condo) is transformed into a home.
I love this particular chili recipe, my “Drunken Pumpkin Chili,” for a couple of reasons:
1.) My meat-and-potatoes-guy loves fall-flavored beers, including some pumpkin ales (they seem to be gaining in popularity, at least in New England). And pumpkin ale adds a lot of delicious flavor to this chili.
2.) There are tons of healthy ingredients in this recipe, including plenty of pumpkin, but you won’t even notice all that when you help yourself to a big bowl. It’s very hearty and savory and delicious and flavorful.
Here are all the key ingredients you’ll need to make your chili.
Begin by grabbing a few cloves of garlic.
Place your knife flat over a clove and smash down on the garlic, breaking apart the outer skin.
Peel off the skin and mince up the garlic clove.
Next, chop the end off of an onion and cut it in half lengthwise.
Peel off the skin and place one half flat-side-down on the cutting board for stability.
Then cut quarter-inch slices of onion.
Run your knife back through in the opposite direction, dicing the onion.
Grab a couple of carrots, and chop the ends off of the first one.
Cut the carrot in half lengthwise.
Place one half flat-side-down on the cutting board for stability and cut quarter-inch slices.
Then run your knife in the opposite direction, dicing the carrot.
Hold a yellow bell pepper on a cutting board so the stem faces upward.
Then make four cuts along each side of the stem, creating four quarters of pepper.
I love this method of chopping up a bell pepper because it makes it easy to remove and discard the stem and all the seeds.
Without a mess.
Dice up the pepper.
Toss some 93% lean ground beef in a large stock pot or dutch oven and adjust the heat to medium-high.
Use a wooden spoon to really break up the meat into small bits as it begins to heat up.
Immediately add all the veggies you just prepared.
Season with salt and pepper, and stir.
Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the veggies have softened.
Adjust the heat to medium.
Next, add a bay leaf and plenty of spices: cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and allspice.
Also add some tomato paste.
I love this tomato paste in a tube.
Just use what you need and then put the cap back on and store in the fridge – so convenient!
Next up: the pumpkin ale! (Isn’t this label great?)
The flavor of pumpkin ale is quite rich, with a bit of pumpkin and spice, and you’ll definitely taste a hint of it in the final chili.
Add the pumpkin ale to the chili and allow it to simmer for a few minutes, deglazing (using the liquid to remove any of the meat or veggies that stick to the bottom of the pan).
And now for the healthy stuff: add the pumpkin purée.
Pumpkin is a smart addition to chili because it adds creamy thickness, and just the slightest hint of pumpkin flavor to the final dish.
It also includes lots of beta carotene (shown to prevent heart disease, regulate blood sugar, and reduce symptoms of asthma and arthritis). Pumpkin also has tons of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.
So healthy, I’m going to try to work pumpkin into more of my recipes.
Considering the name of my blog, how have I not done this yet?!
One last thing about the pumpkin: Just be sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin purée and not seasoned “pumpkin pie” purée!
Although, who knows, maybe that could also taste great.
If you try it, accidentally or on purpose, let me know your thoughts!
Also add some chopped tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine.
Add a bit of salt and pepper.
And now for the spicy part: the chipotle peppers.
I use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce because I like the rich, smoky flavor they add to the dish.
I use two peppers for a very mildly spicy chili.
I recommend using three or four if you prefer a spicier chili.
Just be sure to remove the seeds: Cut into the pepper and open it flat on the cutting board.
Then use your knife to scrape out all the seeds. (The seeds contain a ton of heat – too much for this chili).
Mince up the peppers and add to the pot.
Then stir the chili, partially cover the pot, and adjust the heat to low.
Next step: allow the chili to simmer on the stove for at least 45 minutes…
warming the kitchen…
filling the house with a delicious, fall pumkin-y, cinnamon-y, spicy aroma.
The longer the chili simmers, the better the flavor in the end.
But 45 minutes is usually the most I can manage before the delicious smells become too enticing.
Drain and thoroughly rinse a can of black beans, and add them to the pot.
Season the chili to your taste with salt and pepper.
At this point, you can add an extra chipotle pepper if you want it hotter, or some additional cumin or cinnamon if you think it needs more spice.
Allow the black beans to cook for about 10-15 minutes, and your chili is ready to serve.
The flavors are rich and delicious.
It’s very savory and a little smoky and spicy from the chipotles in adobo.
And there is just a hint of pumpkin and cinnamon as well.
With the pumpkin and spices and fall beer, this chili would be perfect for a Halloween party.
Plus, it’s convenient because it can be prepared early in the day and the flavors just seem to increase and improve the longer it sits simmering on the stove.
I love to make this chili throughout the fall and winter though.
It’s one of those rare dishes that taste even better warmed up as leftovers the following day, so it’s great to make a big pot on the weekend and then heat up for weekday lunches.
And it’s packed with healthy ingredients, while still tasting so satisfying and flavorful.
The perfect combo.
Here is the complete recipe:
This looks wonderful!!!
This chilli definitely has all the delicious components
So warming!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Our favorite chili recipe has pumpkin too! I love how it gives it a nice hearty texture and adds tons of nutrients.
What a great idea for using pumpkin… and any drunken food sounds good to me!
I love making chili with beer! And I love savory pumpkin dishes, so this is right up my alley. I bet it would be good with butternut squash too
Yummy, yummy! I’ll take a huge bowl of that for dinner tonight!
Haha, I still have plenty of leftovers to share!
Hi there, I need to be drunk and not the pumpkin *smile … I have sent you an email by the way … did you pork chop the other day, brilliant …post on friday. This is fantastic, can’t get pumpkin puree in Sweden, but somebody told me to use Sweet potatoes instead. This will go on file.
Looking forward to your post tomorrow! I’ll make sure I check my email in the next few days.
Excellent post, as always. Lovely instruction pics and an excellent looking end result.
Best,
Conor
I made a big pot of chili a couple of nights ago, also brought on by the cold weather! I am very intrigued by the pumpkin twist here, and you’ve totally got me craving pumpkin beer.
Chili is always a hit in cooler weather! What a wonderful mix of favors! I’d love a bowl right now!
Well, I don’t know that I can access pumpkin ale in semi-rural Australia, but this surely tastes like a wonderfully rich dish on my pretend-palate and will be tried soonest: don’t think today’s 35 degrees C temps are going to last
!
Yes, I think that’s too hot for anything but ice cream! I’m sure any beer would work just fine for this chili though
Talk about a perfect soup for cold weather! Love all of the ingredients in this soup, especially the beer!
) Great recipe! Stay warm!
Sounds delicious – will look out for some pumpkin ale!
Yummo-rific! We are having an “It’s Chilly Out Chili” party this weekend, so I’ll give it a try.
Bookmarking this. I am not the biggest chili fan but I am a HUGE pumpkin and pumpkin ale fan!
Great chili recipe. I’ve experimented with Wild Turkey burbon in my chili recipe – although mine was a vegetarian version – but haven’t tried pumpkin ale. Do you know if Shipyard Pumpkinhead is like a local brand or can it be found in Canada?
Shipyard is a local brand – it’s brewed in Portland, Maine. It’s sold in a lot of states, so it may be available in parts of Eastern Canada, I’m not sure. I think any pumpkin spiced ale would work well for the chili
I love chili, but have never made with pumpkin. This looks amazing. I will have to give it a try with the cooler weather here.
Wow, this chili sounds incredible! Booze makes everything better.
haha I love the name of your chili! It sounds like it should be some cute bar somewhere. I’m so curious about the pumpkin, chili is def a dinner staple for me – will have to mess around with some pumpkin next time! Does it make the chili sweeter too? Is it more like a sweet cinnamon flavor?
It mostly tastes like a typical savory, slightly smoky and spicy chili. But it does have a slight hint of sweetness and cinnamon too, which I think makes it even more flavorful
I can’t wait to try this. The name, the flavours, the neat ideas throughout – looks wonderfully satisfying and so full of flavour. You should indeed do more pumpkin-focused recipes!
I can’t wait to try this with the pumpkin in it! The flavors in this sound amazing
I am definitely trying this – maybe even this coming week! It’s funny you mention to be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie puree because just last week I mistakenly used pumpkin PIE puree in a Pumpkin Corn Chowder I made. Surprisingly, we think in that recipe it was even better than the original!!
Viveka mentioned you in her post.. and I thought I should drop by. I love the idea of pumpkin included in this recipe! I’ll have to try it for dinner this week!
I like your combination of ingredients…so different but so good sounding.
This looks incredible. Never thought of making pumpkin chili… looks so so delicious. YUM!
I just discovered pumpkin chili last year and now we love it! However, I haven’t added pumpkin ale to mine yet. What a great idea – so perfect for fall and I know my husband would be happy!
I also have a hubs who loves his seasonal beers – he’s a sucker for the John Adams winter one. Gotta try this – it might convince him to love pumpkin!
This is really amazing! Everyone loved it, even the picky eaters! Posted a link on our blog as well! Thank you!
That’s great – I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! And thank you for sharing the link on your blog!