Pumpkin Chili
This recipe is a bit involved, but worth it for the joy of serving chili in a pumpkin! You’re more than welcome to skip the pumpkin serving bowl part and simply chop and add squash and pumpkin to your chili cooked the normal way, in a pot on the stove. But why not embrace the season and spend a little extra time on this special dish that is sure to delight your guests and family?
Ingredients
1 large edible pumpkin
2 lbs ground beef*
4 tablespoons oil
2 yellow onions*
10 cloves garlic*
Bunch of carrots, roughly chopped into rounds*
Bell pepper, diced into 1/2 in chunks*
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons of paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups stock or broth
4 whole tomatoes (chopped) OR 2 quarts cherry tomatoes (crushed) OR 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 pound of dried beans (kidney, black, pinto, etc)
Toppings: scallions, pickled red onion, pickles, sauerkraut, shredded cheese, hot peppers, chips, limes*
*These ingredients can be found at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market
Method
Soak your beans overnight or at least 4 hours before cooking. If you missed this window, use canned beans. I won’t judge you.
Cut a pumpkin like you’re making a jack-o-lantern and remove the seeds. Widen the opening to resemble a bowl and scrape inside until smooth. Cut the skin off the pumpkin you removed and chop into 1 inch chunks.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pot and cook ground beef over medium-high heat until fully brown and most juices have evaporated. Transfer to a bowl.
Add more 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and add onions. Cook until transluscent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes and cook until spices are toasted (2-3 minutes).
Add carrots, bell pepper, and pumpkin stirring to coat in spice mixture. Add stock or broth, tomatoes, beans, 6 cups of water (if you’re using canned beans, add 3 cups of water), and cooked beef.
Taste everything and add salt and pepper bit by bit until it tastes good. Bring everything to a gentle boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour (the chili will not be ready yet, but will finish cooking in the oven).
Preheat oven to 350.
Place hollowed pumpkin onto a large baking sheet. Add partially cooked chili to pumpkin. If you have leftover chili, continue to cook on the stove for 2-2 1/2 more hours.
Place chili filled pumpkin into the oven to bake for 2-2 1/2 hours. The pumpkin is done when you can easily puncture it with a knife. Don’t full impale the pumpkin or your chili will leak out!
Before serving, taste the chili and make sure it’s properly seasoned. If it tastes bland, add salt bit by bit until it tastes good. Serve the chili by scooping a hunk of pumpkin from the inside along with the scoop of chili. Enjoy with toppings of your choice!
