My pumpkin love continues…except this time I incorporated it into one of my favorite tailgate dishes – chili! With apples being so abundant right now I decided to try my luck at making a chili that combined the taste of apple and pumpkin without being too sweet. The end result was super rich and flavorful. I suggest topping it with some fresh grated cheddar cheese and a dash of hot sauce.
Apple Pumpkin Chili
Serves 8-10
All you need:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 macintosh apple, diced
1 granny smith apple, diced
1/2 cup red wine
1 lb. 90% lean ground beef
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 (46 oz.) can tomato juice
2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 chili seasoning packet
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons white or yellow cornmeal
Salt and pepper, to taste
All you do:
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add diced apple and saute 1 minute longer.
3. Add red wine and cook until almost all of the wine has evaporated.
4. Add the hamburger meat and cook until no longer pink. Season again with salt and pepper.
5. Add the canned tomato, tomato juice, kidney beans, pumpkin and chili seasoning.
6. Stir in pumpkin pie spice and cornmeal. Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.
