My Pumpkin Turkey Chili is a great way to use canned pumpkin and is a nutritious meal that your whole family will love.
With Thanksgiving approaching, canned pumpkin is flying off grocery shelves everywhere. Pumpkin pie is a staple at many holiday tables, including mine. But have you ever wondered what else you can do with canned pumpkin besides making pie?
Pumpkin is a really versatile ingredient and can be incorporated into a wide variety of both sweet and savory dishes. It’s also very nutritious and low in calories and fat. It’s rich orange color means that it’s packed with beta carotene, a strong antioxidant that gets converted to Vitamin A in the body. It’s also a very good source of Vitamin C, fiber and several other nutrients. This year, why not try doing something different with pumpkin? Here are a bunch of ideas to get you started.
Smoothies- pumpkin is a great addition to your breakfast smoothie to add flavor, color and nutrients. Try blending pumpkin with a banana, vanilla yogurt, honey and a touch of cinnamon.
Soup- make a creamy pumpkin spice soup by sautéing onions and garlic. Add pumpkin, chicken stock and pumpkin pie spice and blend together. For another variation, substitute curry powder for the pumpkin pie spice and top with yogurt and cilantro.
Pasta- pumpkin is a fabulous addition to many types of pasta dishes. Use it to make homemade gnocchi or to fill ravioli. You can also stir it into pasta sauces like alfredo sauce or cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese. It will add a nutrition boost and your kids won’t even notice it.
Pudding/Napoleons- mix pumpkin with vanilla pudding and whipped cream for an easy dessert. Layer the pumpkin pudding with crispy baked wonton wrappers or puff pastry for an elegant napoleon.
Muffins- for a portable breakfast that can be made ahead of time, stir pumpkin into your favorite muffin recipe along with some pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin will keep the muffins moist as well as add flavor and nutrients.
Risotto- stir pumpkin into a basic risotto to add lovely color and flavor. Add hearty herbs that compliment the pumpkin like sage or thyme.
Lattes- save money by making your own pumpkin spice latte at home. Stir pumpkin into a shot
of espresso along with vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Top with steamed milk and garnish with cinnamon.
of espresso along with vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Top with steamed milk and garnish with cinnamon.
Mashed potatoes- for a unique twist on a classic Thanksgiving side dish, stir pumpkin into your mashed potatoes along with some nutmeg. It will add great color as well as flavor.
Cheesecake- instead of pumpkin pie, try combining the flavors of pumpkin pie with another classic dessert- cheesecake. Stir pumpkin and cinnamon into the cream cheese base of your favorite cheesecake recipe and bake in a graham cracker or gingersnap crust.
Chili- stir pumpkin into your favorite chili recipe. It adds a subtle nutty flavor that nicely compliments the Southwest spices.
Get started with my Pumpkin Turkey Chili. It’s a nutritious meal that your whole family will love. It tastes like it’s been cooked for hours but it only takes about thirty minutes. The secret is the addition of pumpkin, chipotles in adobo, fire roasted tomatoes and chicken stock, which give it plenty of smoky, slow cooked flavor.
Recipe
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
My Pumpkin Turkey Chili is a great way to use canned pumpkin and is a nutritious meal that your whole family will love.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 331kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 package (20 ounces) lean ground turkey (93% lean)
- 1-2 chipotle in adobo, seeded and minced (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from the can)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 cans (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) canned pumpkin
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Optional garnishes:
- shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat Greek yogurt sour cream, cilantro sprigs, chopped onion and avocado
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and stir to coat with the oil. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Then add the beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, and chicken stock and stir to combine well.
- Simmer the chili, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. To serve, spoon chili into bowls and serve plain or topped with desired garnishes like cheese, yogurt/sour cream, cilantro, onion and/or avocado.
Nutrition
Serving: 0g | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.1g | Protein: 28.9g | Fat: 9.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 10.9g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg
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