Perfect Pumpkin Chili
The best simple, nutrient-dense chili
Growing up my dad competed in chili cook-off competitions with his friends and even placed 7th in an international competition before I was born- Go Dog Breath Chili team! I still remember the blue plastic brief case where he kept all his chili powders, the amazing smell that wafted throughout the house when he started cooking, and the many experiments he would conduct with different spices, types of meat, and grinds. He is VERY picky about all things- if you visit his house you’ll notice all the screws in the light plates are oriented the same direction- my aunt and uncle used to get screw drivers and change them when they came to visit just to mess with him! And of course his award-winning chili recipe and ingredients are no exception here. His recipe makes truly incredible chili, no arguments!
Buuuut.. when I went to learn how to make his recipe I was confronted with a whole-page list of spices I did not own and did not know where to purchase. And I was in a hurry! It was the end of October, and I had a very specific goal of creating a family tradition of making crockpot/instantpot chili that cooked all day and warmed us before going trick-or-treating on Halloween night.
So I did what I do best and took some liberties (sorry dad 😬) with his recipe and mashed it up with 2 others I saw from dietitians I admire- Lily Nichols of the book Real Food for Pregnancy and The Real Food Dietitians’ Pumpkin chili. I brought in the spice proportions from my dad, the liver and peppers from Lily Nichols, and the Pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa powder from the Real Food Dietitians (TRUST me!)
The result was honestly perfect! The rich, warm, gentle spiciness we all love about chili but at a temperature that children can tolerate, the extra fiber and goodies from the beans, pumpkin, and peppers, and the mix of beef and pork really make this shine. Also, since it’s an instant pot recipe it’s SO simple- no kitchen marathons here! Halloween is busy enough without adding a complicated recipe.
There are probably many thousands of chili recipes on the internet, and nothing will compete with the nostalgia of the one my dad makes, but this one is pretty close (and a LOT easier).
Ingredients:
1-2 canned ancho chilies, minced
2-4 Tablespoons of Coconut oil, butter, or avocado oil (chef’s choice)
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2.5 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3oz tomato paste
1 can pinto beans
1 (14.5 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1-3 oz pate’ or finely chopped beef liver (optional)
1/2-2 cups broth, as needed to thin chili
Directions:
Chop and prepare veggies, measure out spices (You’ll be happy you did! All the spices go in at the same time, no need to separate)
Heat oil in a large dutch oven or instant pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes.
Stir in garlic and minced ancho chili(es) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add beef and sausage to the pan along with the spices and tomato paste. Cook and stir until meat is browned and crumbly, 10-12 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients- pumpkin, tomatoes, beans, soy sauce, salt and pepper, pate’ or liver, stir to combine. Add broth as needed to thin mixture to desired consistency.
If cooking on the stove: bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors are developed, around 30 minutes.
If using an InstantPot: lock lid and set to manual/high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow for 10-15 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the steam release valve to release the remaining steam.
Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite chili toppings: fritos, shredded cheese, avocado, diced red onion, cilantro, lime wedges
ENJOY!