Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili

I had no idea that Pumpkin Chili was “a thing” before I came across a recipe in an online newsletter. It sounded a little strange to me, so I decided I would adapt the recipe to make a smaller quantity (so we wouldn’t be eating something we weren’t crazy about for the next six days). I also wanted to be able to put it in my 2 ½ quart slow cooker. It turned out to be a delicious meal and the pumpkin makes a rich thick chili that we really enjoyed!

½ cup chopped onion (I used red onion)

½ cup diced bell pepper (I used small red and yellow snacking peppers)

½ small jalapeno pepper, minced

2 small garlic cloves (I grated them with a microplane)

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp onion powder

15 oz can plain pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable broth

15 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

Put all the above into the slow cooker on low for 3 hours. Then add . . .

1 can rinsed black beans

1 can rinsed kidney beans

. . . and continue slow cooking on low for another 3 hours.

Done!

Notes: This is a mild chili which we found perfect for our taste. Sample it at the 5 hour mark and see if you’d like to add more chili powder.

I opted to add the beans in at the halfway point because canned beans may get too mushy in the slow cooker after a long cooking time. If I was using beans that I had cooked from dry, they would probably hold up fine for the whole six hours.

Make tortilla chips from Ezechiel brand tortillas by cutting into four pieces (scissors work best here) and using an air fryer or toaster oven to brown them for 2-3 minutes. Watch them closely and don’t walk away as they can burn in a heartbeat! They will crisp up after they cool and make great “chili scoopers”