A few years ago I was looking for something fun to make for dinner on Halloween. I wanted something to go with the season and that was different for a wow factor for my family of course 🙂 I ended up settling on pumpkin chili and it has now become tradition to have it every Halloween and throughout the fall. The best part about this is that it’s pumpkin chili with maple breakfast sausages in it.
There are a few fun things that make this chili stand out and number one obviously is pumpkin, but it also has maple breakfast sausage in it! That is probably my favorite thing about it. The maple sausage adds to that hint of salty sweet it has.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (I love the grass-fed beef from Aldi)
- 1 1/2 packages of breakfast sausage links (I like to use the maple version)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange or yellow pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 15oz can of 100% pure pumpkin
- 1 can light red kidney beans
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (I like to get one plain and one with basil, garlic & oregano from Aldi)
- beef broth
- garlic powder
- chili powder
- cumin
- oregano
- brown sugar
- salt and pepper
- olive or avocado oil
How to make
Start by chopping the onion and peppers. I like to use my food processor for this part to make it go a little faster but it is not needed.
Add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of either olive oil or avocado oil to your pot. I love to use my enamel cast iron pot for this recipe! It is from the Magnolia line at Target a few years ago but I still see it there and it’s still a great price for a beautiful pot. Add the onions and peppers and cook until tender.
In a seperate pan brown your beef and then add to the pot with the onions and peppers. Cut up your breakfast sausages and add them to the pot as well. Then add all the beef broth, canned beans, pumpkin and tomatoes.
Cook on medium heat until it shows signs of bubbling and boiling and then reduce to low. I like to let it simmer on low for about 45 minutes to best blend the flavors but if you don’t want to wait that long 20 minutes is fine.
How to serve
This chili is great served as it is but you can also add shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream to your bowl of it. For fun I’ve also bought small pumpkins and served it in them! You just cut the tops of the pumpkins off, remove the seeds, add a Tablespoon of butter inside before adding the top back on. Bake at 375° until tender which is usually about 45 minutes.
How to store
Store your chili in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to just keep it right in the pot I cooked it in with the lid on in the fridge but you may prefer to transfer to a smaller bowl. You can also freeze it to have at a later time.
This is a great fall inspired hearty meal and I hope you love it as much as my family and I do! Let me know how yours turns out.
Pumpkin Chili with Maple Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef I love the organic grass-fed from Aldi
- 1 1/2 6.4 oz packages Vermont Maple Brown 'N Serve breakfast sausages or breakfast sausage of your choice
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange or yellow pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin
- 1 15 oz can light red kidney beans
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans
- 2 14-15 oz cans diced tomatoes I like to use one plain and one with added basil, garlic and oregano from Aldi for added flavor
- 2 cups beef broth or broth of your choice
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2-3 Tbsp brown sugar to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 – 2 Tablespoons to the pot you’ll be cooking the chili in.
- Add the chopped onion and peppers to your pot and cook on medium heat until tender.
- While the onions and peppers are cooking in a separate pan brown your beef. Lightly season it with salt and pepper as it cooks after you have drained off the fat.
- Add the browned beef to your chili pot.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, brown sugar and your desired amount of salt and pepper to the pot.
- Cut up the breakfast sausages into 1/2″ pieces and add to your pot.
- Add canned pumpkin, beans and tomatoes to the pot.
- Stir and cook on medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Turn heat down to low, add lid to your pot and occasionally stir for 30 – 45 minutes.