Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

I made this recipe recently. I didn't catch that it was a crockpot recipe until it was almost done. I cooked it on the stove for about 45 minutes. It turned out delish!!! 

The recipe makes a large batch, so I froze half of it. I ate some this past week that I had froze and it was just as yummy as the first time.

Recipe


2-3 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to season meat


1 medium onion, diced


1 green bell pepper, diced


1 T minced garlic


1 T ground cumin


1 T chili powder
2 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper
2 tsp. dried cilantro or 2-3 T chopped fresh cilantro (optional)


1 tsp. dried oregano


2 tsp. Spike Seasoning - I used some other seasoning salt


2-4 oz. diced green Anaheim chile peppers
3 cups homemade beef stock
1 can (15 oz. can) red kidney beans, rinsed with cold water


2 cans (15 oz. cans) black beans, rinsed with cold water


1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz. can, not pumpkin pie filling!)


2 cans petite diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz. cans) - I used frozen tomatoes from my garden.


grated cheese for serving if desired (I used Mexican 4 cheese blend, a mixture of low-fat cheeses)


sour cream for serving if desired (I used light sour cream)


Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy frying pan, add ground turkey, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook until the turkey is well browned. Add browned meat to the crockpot.


Add a little more oil to the frying pan, add diced onion and green bell pepper and cook 2-3 minutes, until the onion and pepper is just starting to soften. Add minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, ground Ancho chili pepper, dried cilantro, dried oregano, Spike Seasoning and diced green chiles and saute a couple minutes more. (Sauteeing the spices and chiles helps release the flavor, so don't skip this step.) Put the onion mixture into the crockpot, then deglaze the pan with the beef stock and add that to crockpot.


While onions and peppers are cooking, drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. (This removes excess starchiness and makes the beans easier to digest.) Add beans to the crockpot. Add canned pumpkin and diced tomatoes with juice.


Stir the mixture to combine ingredients, then cook on high for 4-6 hours, (or 8-10 hours on low) stirring a few times if you're home.
Serve hot, topped with grated cheese and sour cream if desired.