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Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe

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Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe

Fall has arrived in Southern California, which means the weather has dipped to 75 degrees and I’ve switched to my “winter sandals.”  It also means it’s officially chili weather, and I recently cooked up a big ole batch of one of my favorite dishes – Pumpkin Turkey Chili!  This recipe is soooo easy, you’ll wonder why you don’t make it every week.  Come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea ….

Don’t feel intimidated by the ingredients list!  Nearly half are canned items and the other half are spices you probably already own.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry you are

Ingredients

2 (two) cups canned pumpkin
1 (one) pound ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (one) green pepper, chopped
1 (one) 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 (one) 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 (one) 15 ounce can of black beans
1 (one) 15 ounce can of kidney beans
3 (three) cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (one) tsp cumin
1 (one) tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp chili powder (increase if you want a spicy chili)
olive oil
Bay leaves (optional)

Steps

Step One: Heat the ground turkey separately until well cooked.

Step Two: Add one or two teaspoons of olive oil to a large saucepan on medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes.  Add the cooked turkey and sauté a couple more minutes.

Step Three: Add the following: canned pumpkin, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, and kidney beans.  Stir well.  Add the seasonings and stir well.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Step Four: Reduce heat to low and cover, but leave a small bit uncovered so steam can escape.  The cover is just to prevent splattering.  Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step Five: Remove from stove and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.  Add a couple bay leaves as a garnish.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe

Variants

Note this results in a very thick chili!  If you want a thinner chili, add water a 1/4 cup at a time during Step Three until you’ve reached the desired consistency.  If you add water, you may need to add more spices.

Want a vegetarian version of this dish?  Just leave out the turkey and add a third type of bean.  Three bean pumpkin chili!

About Mindy

Mindy Marzec is a life-long Disney fan who grew up in Los Angeles. She started This Fairy Tale Life to share Disneyland travel tips for adults. When not at Disneyland, you can find Mindy at home snuggling with her cats and re-watching Thor: Ragnarok for the billionth time.