Spicy slow cooker pumpkin chili – a blend of fall spices with a kick of spicy chili powder and red peppers.
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Saturday morning the older two kids left with grandma to visit their great grandmother in northern California. That left the hubs, the little guy and I to spend all weekend together. Every time it’s the three of us we have THE BEST time. The little one is perfect when it’s just him and he enjoys the alone time with us. Saturday morning we painted the house, had a little paint catastrophe, then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the beautiful fall weather. It was a cool Saturday and the husband mentioned making soup for dinner. Since it was still early in the day I thought it would be great to make pumpkin chili in the slow cooker. Now the boys don’t usually like pumpkin but this chili recipe was a hit!
It’s a sweet and spicy blend with mixed beans, bell peppers, pumpkin puree, and tomatoes. The recipe includes pumpkin pie spice which my husband prefers I leave out every time I make it, but I think it gives it a great flavor. It has everything you can think of in a fall recipe. Slow cooker chili? Check. Pumpkin? Check. Pumpkin pie spice? Check. I decided to have a little fun with the meal by serving the chili in tiny pumpkins.
I found these small pumpkins at Save Mart last week. I believe they’re called Pee Wee pumpkins, they’re slightly larger than mini pumpkins but smaller than a pie pumpkin. If you live near a Save Mart check them out, the pumpkins are about a dollar and are perfect for Fall entertaining. You could decorate your thanksgiving table with them or used them as a soup bowl like I did with the chili.
I washed the pumpkins then carved the tops off. Once the pumpkins were cleaned out I filled them with the chili then topped it with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Pumpkin Chili Recipe
Spicy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 can red kidney beans
- 1 can black beans
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2-3 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 red and yellow bell pepper chopped
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet brown ground beef or turkey. Drain fat and transfer to slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Cook on high for 4 hours in slow cooker.
- Garnish with sour cream and shredded cheese.
Notes
If you’d like a spicier chili add a tablespoon or two of hot sauce, which will give it an extra kick.
This chili recipe looks awesome – what a great idea to use small pumpkin as bowls. Haven’t seen small ones like that just pie sized or huge for carving. Will keep my eye out. So glad its finally fall :) Congrats on having an almost kiddo free weekend lol.
I can not wait to try out this recipe. I love pumpkin everything but prefer the savory to the sweet. Pinning to make for dinner this next weekend!
What a cute way to serve this chili! I used to have a friend who would make this awesome pumpkin stew and serve it inside a roasted pumpkin. So fun! The spices in your chili sound like an amazing combination :)
First of all, this chili looks amazing, and secondly, I LOVE how you put it in pumpkins!! So cute! And I love the simple directions…crock pots are so great! I pinned it to my (CarlaINHouston) Crock Pot Recipes! board and can’t wait to try it!!
These photos are gorgeous! I love how it all looks! It would be such a fantastic idea for a fall dinner party, or even a lunch party. Totally pinning this! :)
Love it! If you haven’t linked up yet, come share your project on Teach Me Tuesday: https://www.somedayilllearn.com/2013/10/21/teach-tuesday-38/
This looks amazing! I will have to substitute the ground beef with vegan ground “meat” but I’m sure it will still be delicious. Question, do you recall how many oz or grams your cans of beans, tomatos and sauces were?