Pumpkin Chili for Halloween Night

Starting with an online recipe and making it a bit healthier, maybe spicing it up, using what you have on hand, is a great way to try new foods. Admittedly, I'm not a big chili fan, but today IS Halloween, and I just happened to have some canned pumpkin in the pantry in preparation for the November treat, Pumpkin Pie Cake Dessert. In fact, I had everything on hand. So here you go - make this for your little trick-or-treaters tonight. The pumpkin adds a creamy stick-to-your-ribs thickness and the spices makes it unique. Your whole family will love it.

PUMPKIN CHILI

1 lb ground beef or bison
1 jumbo onion, diced
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, diced
2 398ml (15oz) cans black beans, drained
1 398ml (15oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 946ml (32oz) jar veggie juice cocktail (or more)
1 796ml (28oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 398ml (15oz) can pumpkin
1.5 T pumpin pie spice (or 2 t cinnamon, 1 t ginger, 1/2 t each nutmeg and allspice)
2 T chili powder
4 T sugar
1 T hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot - still mild enough for children)

In large pot (Dutch oven or spaghetti pot) over medium heat, brown beef and drain if needed. Add onions and peppers. Cook another 5 minutes. Stir in beans, juice, tomatoes and pumpkin. Combine spices in small bowl then add to pot. Simmer for 30 minutes then check seasonings. If needed, add:

1 t salt (or to taste - will depend on the salt content of your canned goods)
cayenne or hot sauce to taste

Serving with a dollop of sour cream on top would be amazing. Sprinkle with chives and it will look as good as it tastes. Have a bottle of hot sauce handy for those who like more heat.

Notes: I used grass-fed beef and actually added a bit of olive oil because it's quite lean, so there was no need to drain. Also, I used organic fresh and canned veggies and beans. Knudsen's Very Veggie juice is my choice of veg cocktails. You could just use tomato juice as the original recipe calls for. I used a total of 2 T hot sauce, and would consider it just right - mild, but on the upper edge of mild.

Adding more beans and cutting out the beef, will give you a vegetarian masterpiece. Don't serve with sour cream and it's even vegan. Plus, it goes together quickly for friends who came to the door for treats and decided to stay, or you could put it all together in the crock pot this morning if you brown the meat first. All in all, a very versatile recipe.