Easy Pumpkin Chili is simple to make and a perfect hearty, filling meal the whole family will love during the chilly fall (and winter) months. Plus, it uses a favorite fall food – pumpkin – and the canned version makes it especially quick and easy while packing in extra nutrition.

This Pumpkin Chili recipe is also naturally gluten-free and dairy-free so it’s a perfect meal if you have food sensitivities or not. I love easy meals that everyone can enjoy together regardless of diet restrictions and this one definitely fits the bill.

As a busy mom of four, my favorite dinner recipes need to fit the following requirements:

1. require no more than 30 minutes to make
2. easy to make – no complicated steps to lose track of while the kids interrupt and preferably without a lot of chopping
3. nutritious
4. taste delicious!

Easy Pumpkin Chili hits the mark on every one of those items and it’s definitely one of my all-time favorite meals. My family loves it too! (Although I must add the two of my picky kids sometimes turn their nose up at this chili, but they do that with all chili recipes.)

You can make this chili from start to finish in 30 minutes or less. It’s also easy to make because it uses canned and frozen food and this actually increases the nutrition factor! That’s because canned pumpkin has antioxidants and higher levels of Vitamin A (540% of the recommended daily intake) compared to fresh pumpkin (26%). Canned tomatoes also have higher levels of an essential phytonutrient, lycopene, than fresh tomatoes.

As an added bonus, I think this Pumpkin Chili tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to settle in. It makes for great, easy-to-heat-up leftovers too!

I prefer to use Red Gold, Redpack, or Tuttorosso (the same brand, just different labels) canned tomatoes. I toured one of their family farms last month when I joined the “Farm to Can” tour with Refreshingly Real and learned some interesting things about Red Gold Tomatoes and cans in general.

Red Gold Tomatoes:

• began in 1942 and is still family owned and operated four generations later
• are all non-GMO (all tomatoes are actually non-GMO)
• grown in the midwest (Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan) where it’s a perfect growing environment for tomatoes with weather that’s not too hot or too cold.
• not organic, but use minimal pesticides and do regular random residue testing (all tests have come back with undetectable levels of pesticides, other than one fungicide which has always been well below the acceptable standard. Plus, this testing is done BEFORE the tomatoes are washed FIVE times.)*
• use non-BPA and non-BPS lined cans
• are preserved with steam, no preservatives
• uses nothing artificial
• has the industry’s highest possible certification for processing tomatoes, their facilities are the best in the industry, and they only process tomatoes
• are gluten-free
• their family brands include: Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso, Sacramento, and Huy Fong licensed products (click here to find a store near you)

*A note about organic: I asked the Red Gold Tomatoes director of agriculture about why their tomatoes are not organic. He was honest and explained that it would be too costly and they would have a lot of crop loss. (Just to become certified organic, they would need to leave 4,000 acres of land completely empty for 3 years.) While I would personally love to see Red Gold Tomatoes offer an organic line at some point, I respect their answers and appreciated their honesty. I also appreciate that they do random residue testing (see above).

I now confidently buy Red Gold Tomatoes for my family. And they ARE delicious! (Try comparing them to other canned tomato brands – I did and was impressed to see consistent amazing quality with RedGold. With other brands, I frequently find tomatoes with green sections.)

In addition to Red Gold’s quality, I learned a few things about canned food in general.

Did you know?

• canned fruits and vegetables are fresh. In fact, canned produce often goes from the field to can within 4.5 hours where fresh produce often takes 21 days from the field to the store
• canned produce does not require preservatives or additives and can be preserved with steam
• cans are made from recycled steel now
• canned food is actually packed when nutrition levels are the highest because they are canned at the peak of harvest.
• 90% of canned food in America is now non-BPA and the remaining 10% will be there soon.

For more info on canned food, read my post: The Truth About Canned Food here.

Now that I know all those interesting facts, I readily use canned foods with my family often now. It makes my life easier, cooking time faster, and overall we’re eating more homemade, healthier meals now.

Easy Pumpkin Chili

(Scroll down for the full printable recipe)

Ingredients:

• dash of Olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (or use 3/4 cup frozen diced pepper for faster prep)
• 1 onion, diced (or use 3/4 cup frozen diced onion for faster prep)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder, optional
• Salt and pepper to taste (I use at least 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper)
• 1 (15 oz can) pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 (15 oz can) black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz can) pinto beans, drained
• 1 (28 oz can) diced tomatoes, not drained
• 3/4 – 1 1/5 cups chicken broth

In a large pot over medium heat, brown the meat (you can use ground beef or ground turkey) with the bell pepper, diced onion, garlic cloves, and dash of olive oil.

When the meat is browned, add the spices (chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, onion powder, chipotle powder.) Stir, then season with salt and pepper as desired. I like to use 1-2 tsp of salt and about 1/2 tsp pepper).

Keep your chili on medium heat and add the canned pumpkin, drained black and pinto beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir well. Add the chicken broth. I usually use about 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, but you can use less if you prefer a thicker chili or more if you prefer a thinner chili.

Simmer and stir somewhat often over low-medium heat, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until you are ready to eat.

This chili works well as leftovers for the next day (or more).

 

Print

Can you freeze Pumpkin Chili?

Yes! Here’s how I recommend you do it.

Use quart-size zippered freezer bags. Spoon chili into each bag. You should be able to seal it without making a mess. Seal it, gently squeezing the air out of the bag as you shut it. Lay it flat as possible and freeze. This will help keep your chili from getting freezer-burned and save space in your freezer.

Defrost by laying on your counter on a cookie sheet or putting in your refrigerator overnight. Simply reheat and enjoy!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this delicious Pumpkin Chili. Maybe it will become a favorite fall staple that’s quick and easy, nutritious, filling, and delicious for your family too!