Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Have I mentioned that I LOVE pumpkin? As it turns out, pumpkin is not just for sweet treats - it is also delicious in savory dishes. This time, I added it to chili! This might be one of my favorite chili dishes ever... next to Josh's White Chicken Chili, of course (which I can't believe I haven't posted yet). This is is straight from Cara, no changes as it is already wonderful!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

from Cara's Carvings, serves 4-6

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium sized bell peppers, diced (I used 1 red and 1 orange)

1 lb ground turkey (I used 93% lean)

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon (don't skip this, trust me!)

1 tsp Mexican oregano (I used regular oregano)

1 small can diced green chili peppers

15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14 oz can diced tomatoes

15 oz can pumpkin puree, or 2 cups homemade

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the garlic and bell peppers, and cook about 5 minutes more until tender. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and oregano.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors.

Or, just brown the turkey with the seasonings and combine with remaining ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings - cilantro, green onion, cheese, sour cream, etc. Makes 4 very generous servings - perfect if you're not eating this with any cornbread or other sides.

REVIEW:
Absolutely delicious! Josh and I got about 6 servings out of this - and I didn't serve any sides. It was very filling, and the leftovers were great. The pumpkin flavor is quite subtle in the dish and not at all overwhelming - I was a tad worried as I added 2 cups, but it was nice and complimented well by the cinnamon. Cara calculated the following nutritional info, assuming 4 servings: 436 cals / 9.8g fat / 58.4g carbs / 16.8g fiber / 36 g protein. That is great for a rough estimate, but you may want to refigure with the actual brands of ingredients you use.