Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

Another great recipe from http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/  This can easily be adapted to food storage items by using freeze dried ground beef, peppers, onions, garlic, spices, sour cream, and cheese.  This is also a great recipe for dieters (South Beach, Phase 3 of hCG, etc).

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili with Ground Beef, Black Beans, and Kidney Beans
by Kalyn Denny
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe adapted from Pumpkin Chili at Eclectic Recipes.)

I used a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker and it was quite full so any 4 - 5 quart size would also work.

2-3 tsp. olive oil (depending on your pan)
1 lb. ground beef (use ground beef with 10% fat or less for South Beach Diet)
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 (I used mild chili powder from The Spice House, note this is a blend of spices and not ground chile pepper.)
2 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper (or use a little more chili powder if you don't have this)
2 tsp. dried cilantro or 2-3 T chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
2-4 oz. diced green Anaheim chile peppers (I only used 2 oz, but if you like it spicy use the whole 4 oz. can)
3 cups homemade beef stock (or use 2 cans beef broth)
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)
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 beef, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook until the beef 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. (I cooked my chili about 4 1/2 hours on high and it was perfect, but crockpots can vary greatly as to how hot they get, so adjust the cooking time depending on your own slow cooker.)

Serve hot, topped with grated cheese and sour cream if desired. This chili will be even better after it's been in the fridge overnight, and also freezes well.