Maple Pumpkin Chili Recipe from 'Brown Eggs and Jam Jars'

Photo: Tim and Angela Chin

From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Brown Eggs and Jam Jars

Maple Pumpkin Chili
Serves 6

This recipe came about from a pot of overly spicy chili that my children could not eat. Back on the stove it went, with a helping of pumpkin purée and a splash of maple syrup. These two ingredients balanced out the fiery chipotle and all was well again. We prevented a loss and gained a new family favorite. Pumpkin is high in vitamin A, and this nourishing chili is a good way to include this vegetable in your child’s diet. It’s even better on the second day, when the flavors have had a chance to meld, so keep that in mind when you plan your menu.

1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
3 mild Italian sausages (about 2/3 pound/350 g)
1 pound (500 g) lean ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried oregano
½ teaspoon (2 mL) chipotle chili powder
½ teaspoon (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (500 mL) beef stock
1 cup (250 mL) pure pumpkin purée
1 can (14 ounces/398 mL) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14 ounces/398 mL) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons (30 mL) pure maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons (7 mL) salt

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pot. Slit sausage casings and remove the filling. Discard the casings. Add sausage meat and ground beef to the pot. Cook the meats until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the ground meats into smaller pieces.

Stir in onion and fennel; cook for 2 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder and black pepper; stir to combine. Add beef stock, pumpkin purée, tomatoes, kidney beans and maple syrup. Stir well as you bring the chili up to a low boil.

Simmer for 1 hour over low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt. Serve hot.

Variation: Replace the fennel with celery if desired.

Storage: This chili will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Freeze in jars, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace, or in sturdy reusable containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a pot.

More chili recipes to try:

Vegetarian chili to suit non-vegetarians

Chili with beer and chocolate in it (!)

How to build a better bowl of chili