I hope you will try this!! We had it the other night after we did a little pumpkin carving~
It is the BEST chili I have ever made!
Not that I am a super chili expert, I am not, but seeing pumpkin popping up in just about everything right now, I did a little research…
After reading several pumpkin chili recipes, I came up with my own version
It has a whole can of pumpkin, but you really don’t taste it, the pumpkin provides a velvety texture and a little sweetness to offset the heat from the fire roasted tomatoes and chili beans
Start by browning ground beef and seasoning it for tacos. Put it in your slow cooker
Saute onion and sausage in the same skillet until meat is done and onions are soft
Add the cooked sausage and onions to slow cooker and add cherry tomatoes
Next add chili beans, undrained, pumpkin and fire roasted tomatoes
Give it a stir. It will be really thick and you will be tempted to add some liquid, but PATIENCE!
After it cooks low and slow for 6-7 hours, it will be the perfect chili consistency. If you want a thinner “soup” add some beef or chicken broth
Loaded Pumpkin Slow Cooker Chili
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/8 cup taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage
- 1/2 large red onion diced
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 15 oz Bush’s Chili Beans [black beans in chili sauce], undrained
- 15 oz fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 16 cherry or grape tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- grated sharp cheddar and pepitas for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare ground beef as for tacos: brown meat, drain, add water and taco seasoning and simmer for 10 min. Add to slow cooker.
- Cook Italian sausage and onion in the same skillet you used for the taco meat. When meat has browned and onion is soft add to slow cooker.
- Add tomatoes, pumpkin, beans,* and fire roasted tomatoes, undrained. Add a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, garnish with cheese and pepitas
Notes
My inspiration recipes came from Lynn at Happier than a Pig in Mud [she has a version that uses either pumpkin or butternut squash] and a slow cooker one from Tater Tots and Jello. Thank you ladies!
NOTE: I made a big batch of taco meat and used part for the soup and froze the rest for tacos
Top your bowl with plenty of sharp grated cheddar and some roasted pepitas and smile!
No, I didn’t use real pumpkin for this soup, even though there was some readily available ^^’
Enjoy!
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