Meal #4: The Great Pumpkin....Chili?

Okay. I did not tell anyone that there was pumpkin the in the chili when I served it for the fear that the first reaction would be....weird!?!

However, the combination was rustic and creamy with a hit of...pumpkin! Pumpkin and sage pair well together and the splash of dark beer leaves the taster pleasantly pleased with the meal. It has a little something special that they just can't put their finger on.

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients

1 16oz black beans, drained and rinsed

1 16oz Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 16oz chili beans, do not drain or rinse

one 16oz corn, drained and rinsed

1/2 15oz can pureed pumpkin

1 small onion, diced

All-Spice

Cinnamon

garlic powder

onion powder

chili powder

Tabasco, Chipotle

fresh sage, chopped

beer (Fat Tire 1554, in this recipe)

Directions

In a crock pot, combine all of the beans, corn, and onion. Mix well. Then add a half can of pumpkin. Add a dash or two of All-spice, cinnamon, garlic and onion powder. Add a generous amount of chili powder. Again mix well. As the chili begins to warm throughout, taste and season as needed. I like to add a good amount of Tabasco for heat and about a cup of beer to the chili towards the end of cooking. Season with fresh sage. Total time in crock 1.5-2 hours or more.

Pumpkin Corn Bread

Ingredients

1 package Jiffy Corn Bread mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/2 can pumpkin

brown sugar

cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, combine the all of the above ingredients. Pour batter into a 9' ceramic or glass pie pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with melted butter over the top, if desired.