Pumpkin-Turkey Chili

Didn't I just say, about a week ago, that I would never need another chili recipe, because I had found chili perfection? Well, I guess I lied. I came across this "Pumpkin Chili" recipe, and I was intrigued. In case you didn't know, there was a pretty intense pumpkin shortage last year, and there hasn't been canned pumpkin in the supermarket in close to a year. Just a couple of weeks ago, it finally reappeared in stores, and I stocked up. Yes, I have 10 cans in my basement. Anyway, I've been using it in everything, and I got very excited to use it in our dinner last night. After reading the hundreds of comments about the chili, I adapted the recipe, according to what I thought my family would like. The end result was a really good, solid dish, that my family liked. It was not exceptional, particularly special, or very unique, but it was easy and tasty. I couldn't quite imagine what kind of difference the pumpkin would make, but it was actually a really fun and healthy addition. It adds a very subtle sweetness, and makes for a nice, thick textured chili. The thing is, if you like a salty and spicy chili, that also has that underlying sweetness, you have to doctor the recipe. Anyway, Kevin's first comment about this dish was, "Wow, this is sort of bland, but I like it." Hmmmm. I didn't think it was bland at all, and I liked it too, but I still think the other chili recipe was a little more to my liking.



Maybe you should try this.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (I used red)
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used Rotel, to make it spicy)
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I didn't use this)
1/2 cup sour cream (or this)

I added:
A can of black beans
A cup of frozen corn
A tsp of cumin

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.