Nothing says fall quite like pumpkins does it? Maybe for you, it’s apples or something else, but there’s something about the sight of pumpkins for sale that make it feel like fall even when the weather here in the south isn’t cooperative!
The only ways I’ve ever tried pumpkin have been pumpkin pie just last year, I believe, and a pumpkin flavored coffee creamer, also last year. Growing up, I never had the desire to taste pumpkin pie, so I finally decided last year it was time to give it a fair shot. I was right… I was not a fan!
But when I saw the coffee creamer at the grocery store, I thought maybe it wasn’t necessarily the pumpkin flavor, but something else about the pumpkin pie that turned me off. The creamer was delicious!
Well, this month’s Secret Recipe Club challenge gave me another opportunity to try pumpkin in a different way … in a chili! I’m always intrigued by recipes that are a little different from the every day “mundane” ways of eating things. Admittedly, there are times when you just want those classics exactly how you’ve always had them, and then there are times when I’m wanting to try something new or a bit different.
So when I received my Secret Recipe Club blog assignment this month, Crumb Blog, written by Isabelle Boucher, as I normally do, I began browsing recipes right away. Fall is my favorite season, so I thought I’d see what kind of recipes she might have for those of us looking for great new fall recipe ideas!
As soon as I saw her Trick or Treat Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili and read through it, I was pretty sure I had found my recipe. I looked around a little more just to be sure, and she has tons of other recipes that sound delicious, but my mind was, indeed, made up.
I stuck pretty closely with her recipe, but we usually use poblano peppers in place of other spicy peppers, as The Chef says they are a milder spicy pepper. When he went to the grocery store, there were none to be found, but he did find Cubanelle peppers. We’d never tried those before, so he brought one home for us to try in this.
When I made the chili, I tasted a piece of it, and it wasn’t at all spicy, so I did use the whole thing in the chili. Turns out, according to Gourmet Sleuth, they are a sweet pepper, rather than spicy … go figure! I also used 1 tablespoon each of brown sugar and maple syrup, as opposed to 2 tablespoons of just one or the other.
The end result was yummy…. I really liked it! It’s always a toss up what The Well Fed Kids will think of a new recipe but The Well Fed Son gobbled it up. He did say he wished it had meat in it, and this is huge coming from the boy we used to have to practically bet to eat his meat. 😉 The Well Fed Daughter ate what I served her. She wasn’t enthusiastic about it, but when she does not reject something new it is a win regardless of the level of enthusiasm or lack thereof! She has definitely been the pickier of the two!
The Chef was not home for supper when I made it, but he tried it later. He was not a fan of the flavor combinations but since he just had a bite he did not have it topped with anything, like the green onions, cheese or sour cream recommended. He said he thought it would be much better with those to help balance out the flavors.
I must say that I don’t think I’ll ever be one of pumpkin’s greatest fans, and I wondered what it would be like with the pumpkin in a puree consistency? I may try that sometime in the future. If you love pumpkin, as I know many do, you definitely want to give this one a try!
Thanks to Isabelle for a great recipe … and be sure to head over to her blog to see what else you might find to try.
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- 1 small pie pumpkin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cans (19 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bottle (300 ml) Guinness
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and oregano
- 1 Cubanelle pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- To make the pumpkin easier to cut, pierce with a fork a few times and microwave on high for 1 minute. Set aside to cool. Once pumpkin is cool enough to handle, cut in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds, then cut each half into six wedges. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the peel from each wedge, then chop into ½″ cubes.
- Pour olive oil into large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and pumpkin, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until onion is golden.
- Stir in tomatoes, beans, Guinness, brown sugar, maple syrup spices and pepper.
- Bring chili to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Stir in red pepper and corn, and continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes or until corn is bright yellow and peppers are soft.
- Serve piping hot with your favorite chili garnishings – grated cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions or all of the above (we just used cheese but would have tried green onions also if we'd had them).
Check out the other recipes from the Secret Recipe Club Group A Reveal!
About the Author
Adopted at age 2, grew up in the Charlotte, NC area. Obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University. Loves being a Mom of two and taste-testing Chef John's culinary creations and sharing them with readers.
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