Crock-pot Pumpkin & Turkey Chili
It’s October – which means my crockpot has finally escaped my kitchen storage closet and regained its rightful space on the “every day use shelf”. It also means we have entered pumpkin season, good hair and vest weather, and my favorite time of year. To celebrate, I’m sharing my favorite and the BEST EVER, crockpot pumpkin turkey chili recipe with you!
We have a cold front coming through this week in Houston and I just couldn’t contain myself. With a high of 75 degrees F expected, I had to make sure that we had some chili and cornbread in the house. If you are from the south I know you know what I’m talking about…. and if not, the good news is you need this recipe right now too!!!
Chili is something that only gets better with time, so naturally it’s a perfect thing to make in a crockpot. I had a bunch of errands to run today, so I threw this on before I left. By the time I got home my house smelled like heaven, and the chili had developed the intensity that I wanted. Amazing.
The pumpkin I added is completely optional, but I thought since it’s October and Halloween is right around the corner, why not incorporate it into the recipe. I’m so glad I did because it turned out better than I could have imagined. The pumpkin flavor was not predominant in this recipe, but it added a thickness and richness that I loved. If you really love pumpkin and want that flavor to shine through, I suggest doubling what I added!
I LOVE using the Wick Fowler’s 2 Alarm Chili Kit as my seasoning blend, but I did list an amazing copycat seasoning blend below. For me, the flavor I get from this kit is just so intense and incredible, it beats any chili you can buy. It’s also really easy, and sometimes we need easy.
I hope everyone is having a great start to fall, gets some cold weather soon, and enjoy your pumpkin lattes and crock-pot feasts!!
Crockpot Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Equipment
- crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. neutral oil
- 1 lb ground turkey meat, 85% lean (or ground beef)
- 1 tsp. better than beef bouillon
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 serranos, diced (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt, to taste
- 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 can drained and rinsed kidney beans
- 1 3/4 cup beef stock
- 5 Tbsp. pumpkin puree (optional)
Seasoning Mix
- 1/2 package Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm Chili Kit OR the following seasoning blend:
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1/4 cup +1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1 tbsp. masa flour
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp. granulated garlic
Instructions
- Place the crockpot on high for 6 hours and get ready to add in the ingredients.
- In a large saute pan, heat the grapeseed oil on a medium flame. Brown ground turkey meat, breaking into small pieces while it cooks. Season with salt and 1 tsp. of beef bouillon. Pour the ground turkey into the crockpot, reserving the liquid.
- Next, saute the onion, bell pepper, and serrano in the same saute pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Season with 1/4 tsp. chili powder, 1/8 tsp. granulated garlic, and salt to taste. Then, place it into the crockpot with the ground turkey.
- Add in the tomato sauce, can of drained beans, beef stock, pumpkin puree, and all the seasonings except the masa flour.
- Cook on high for 6 hours.
- Once the chili is done, add in the masa flour, stir well, and serve. Enjoy with cornbread, avocado, cheese and onions on top, or by itself!
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