October Vegucation--Pumpkin Edition

Well I've taken a little vacation from Veg-ucation and I'm so glad to be back!  The end of our summer and beginning of Fall were just so full that I've been out of the kitchen too much.  With sunny days few and far between I'm excited to start creating again.

Pumpkin is not something I remember eating a lot of growing up.  We don't even have pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving!  But it's become a staple in our house because of this dish!

I hope you enjoy!

Last year I tackled the Whole 30 Challenge.  It was definitely a challenge coming up with recipes that were both tasty and followed the strict guidelines of the challenge.  Some of the things I starting eating during that time period have become staples in our diet and this is one of them!

Chocolate Chipotle Pumpkin Chili

2 lbs ground beef
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes, pureed in the blender
1/2 T chipotle chili pepper
1/2 T cumin
1 tsp salt
1 square of 100% dark chocolate
1 can of green chilies
1 onion, chopped

optional--
I often add onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and paprika to taste

I made this in the slow cooker and it was so easy!  I just dumped everything in and let it cook for about 4 hours. It's also easy to make on the stove.  Just make sure you saute your onions long enough so they aren't super crunchy.  Or if you like it that way you can put it all in the pot and let it cook!

This was SO yummy!!  The green chilies and chipotle give it just enough kick.  And the chocolate adds just a tiny bit of bitterness that gives it more depth.

If you like a thinner version you can add a couple of cups of chicken broth. 

Hope you enjoy this fun spin on an old classic!  We eat this almost weekly!

Now it's time to hop over to the other awesome ladies who have created a yummy pumpkin recipe to share!

Maple Spice Pumpkin
Baked Pumpkin Custard
Grain Free Stuffed Pumpkin
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds & Nuts