September is honestly one of my favorite months of the year in terms of produce (and weather!).  The markets are still loaded with end-of-season tomatoes and other summer goodies, while the first few fall and winter squash have just started trickling in.  This chili combines the delightfully summery flavors of tomatoes along with the warming and hearty flavors of pumpkin, and the result is pure magic.  A perfect chili for September, or really any time of year!

As with all of my recipes, this one can be adjusted to meet your dietary needs or ingredient availability, but it’s also really good as is!  Remove the red wine if you’re avoiding alcohol, or sub with a beer if that’s more your vibe (I would avoid anything too bitter or hop-forward, but otherwise, use what you like!).  The ground beef could definitely be swapped for ground turkey or pork, or could be skipped altogether if you want to keep this veggie forward – there are plenty of beans in this recipe that you honestly don’t need the meat.  Don’t have fresh tomatoes? Use canned!  Want to use homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned?  Go for it!  Want to use your signature chili spice blend instead of the spices that I used?  I bet that would be great!  Make it hotter with more peppers if you would like, or take the heat out entirely by removing the jalapenos.  The chili flavor combinations are truly endless, and this recipe will definitely bring you to a good place!

This recipe makes a big batch (enough for 6-8 people).  It stores well in the fridge for up to a week, and we froze leftovers for future meals as well (chili is an excellent freezer food!).  This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd, or to use as meal prep.  It takes about 2-3 hours to make from start to finish, so make sure you have some time to devote to simmering before you start on your chili journey.  Block off a Sunday afternoon (or if you’re lucky enough to work from home, any afternoon!) to make this.

Recipe down below, photo up top!  Happy September, friends!

Pumpkin, Beef, and Bean Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4-6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1-2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
• 1 cup red wine (optional)
• 2-3 cups diced tomatoes
  • Sub for 2 cans of diced tomatoes, including juice
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 cups black beans
  • Sub for 2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Prep your vegetables by dicing the onion, and roughly chopping the garlic and jalapenos.  If using fresh tomatoes, roughly dice those up to have them ready to go as well.  Set prepped veggies aside until needed.
2. Set a large pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and allow everything to warm up, about 30-60 seconds or so.  Once the pan and the oil are hot, add the ground beef, and begin to break up the beef into small pieces as you stir.  Cook the ground beef until the meat is fully browned, about 5-7 minutes over medium high heat.
3. Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the pan.  If there is too much fat left over in the pan from cooking the beef, drain some off (you should have about 3 tbsp in there or so for the next step).
4. Keeping the pan and the remaining fat over medium-high heat, add the onions, garlic, and jalapenos.  Cook until the onions are translucent and beginning to soften, and everything is fragrant, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes.
5. Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika, and cinnamon, and salt to the pot, and stir to combine.  Cook everything over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the spices become very fragrant and bloom in the warm pan, about 30-60 seconds.
6. If using, add the wine to the pan, and stir to fully combine.  Cook over medium-high heat until the alcohol has evaporated off and the wine has reduced slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and pumpkin puree to the pot, and stir to fully combine.  Add 1 cup of water to the pot as well, and stir to fully combine.  Add the ground beef back into the pot as well, and stir to fully combine.  Bring everything up to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Once boiling, adjust the heat down to low until the stew maintains a bare simmer.  Allow the stew to simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, uncovered, and stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent anything on the bottom from scorching.
8. After cooking for 1 hour, the stew should have thickened and reduced.  Add the beans at this point, and stir to fully combine.  Allow the stew to continue simmering for another 30 minutes to allow the beans to heat up fully and the flavors to continue to meld together.  Simmer uncovered, stirring again every 5 minutes or so to prevent scorching.
9. At this point, the chili is ready to serve!  Serve with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!