Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe!

When I was growing up, chili on Halloween was a tradition. It still is. Even though all my mama's kids are grown, she still makes chili on Halloween night. And why wouldn't she? It's the perfect grab-when-you-can/eat-when-you-can kind of meal that lends itself well to constant interruptions...like when your doorbell is being rang intermittently by hungry, dressed-up kids wanting candy.

So when I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Chili, I knew I had to make it for Halloween. Clearly, anything "pumpkin" gets my attention.  Someone pinned from the Tater Tots and Jello blog Jen's super yummy sounding recipe.  She says in her post that this baby has won an award and after having made it, I understand why!

This made a TON of chili.  Literally filled my crockpot to the brim.  We were just having two other couples over for Halloween and our babies aren't partaking yet, so I thought there would be plenty leftover to freeze for later. I was wrong. All of it got eaten. Sure, we all went back for seconds (and some of us went for thirds!) so you could probably feed a larger party of people if there are other things around to eat. But if this is the main dish, be prepared for it to not last long. It is that yummy.

I had to make a few changes to her award-winning combination, so please check out her site (which is super fun) and her original recipe to see which one suits your tastes and needs better.  You really can't go wrong.

Here is the way my chili was made!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili
(adapted from Tater Tots and Jello)

Ingredients:

• 1.25 lbs Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• 1 red onion, chopped and diced
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped and diced
• 1 29 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 each of red, green and yellow peppers, chopped and diced
• 1 can green chilis
• 2 Tbs Chili Powder
• 8 oz of pumpkin puree (I used a 15 oz can, added a little more than half of it)

Directions:

• Brown the ground turkey
• Drain any fat and add to your crockpot
• Using the same pan, heat up your olive oil. Add your diced onions and chopped garlic, heating until onions are soft and garlic is roasted.
• Add onions and garlic to your crockpot
• Then add your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and rinsed beans to the crockpot
• Now add your red, green and yellow peppers, the can of green chilis, 2 Tbs of chili powder and the pumpkin!
• Give it a good stir, mixing everything so that it is evenly distributed
• Set your crockpot on low for 6 hours
• Serve with sour cream and cheese for garnish

And enjoy!! Perfect for Halloween, watching football, pumpkin parties, Thanksgiving appetizers and all related Fall activities!