Nik's Pumpkin Chili

You all have the good folks at McCormick Spices to thank for this blog post going up on time.

See, when I went on the tour of the McCormick Spice facilities at Fitbloggin, they outfitted me with a TON of great spices to use to freshen up my own recipes. Like I said, they have an initiative going called Generation Fresh to inspire healthful cooking without excess sodium, sugar or fat.

Their cooking demos inspired me! All through the tour I was thinking of things I could try. But then when they gave me free spices, it was on like popcorn!

So...pumpkin chili. I'd heard of it. I admit I was dubious. But I was willing to take a chance. I'm adventurous that way. I'm very, very, very glad I did!

Nik's Spicy (or not) Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I actually used two but that's because of my intense vampire phobia)
• 1 lb. whatever lean ground meat you like (I used turkey)
• 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. white beans (I used Great Northern), drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. red beans (I used dark red kidneys), drained and rinsed
• 12 oz. can no-sugar added tomato soup
• 15 oz. can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. McCormick Cinnamon (I used their Gourmet Collection Saigon Cinnamon, pictured below)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp ground Chipotle powder (if you like spicy)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a sprayed pot over medium heat, sautee your onions until softened, then add garlic. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add ground meat and cook until done through. Add all beans and stir completely.

Add soup, pumpkin and spices and stir again. Reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes or until fully heated through. Then cover and allow it to sit a few moments. It's going to be thick, not liquidy so turn off the heat, cover it and let the flavors do their love thing.

Verdict: La Petite Diva and I loved it. It's thick, rich and...dare I say...creamy? I was skeptical about the cinnamon but it was GOOD! The smell is rather comforting, especially alongside the smoky aroma of the Chipotle powder. The pumpkin gives the whole thing a smoothness that it would not have otherwise. It almost takes on a refried bean-ish texture. Yummy!

La Grande Diva wasn't jazzed about the idea to begin with (this is why I usually don't tell her what's in my dishes until AFTER she's tasted it...I think she would have liked it had she not known there was pumpkin in it). She took a small bite, proclaimed that it wasn't right to eat pumpkin in chili, and resolutely refused to eat any more.

Her loss.

The little diva and I chomped away happily and there's plenty for my lunch!

Anyhoo...for even more ideas on freshening up your recipes, check out McCormick on Facebook, on Twitter @Spices4Health and if you use any of their spices to jazz up your own recipes, be sure to use the hashtag #genfresh.

More pumpkin recipes to come, Foodies! In the meantime, have you checked out the info on the Holiday Survival Kits?