Sweet and Spicy SCD Pumpkin Chili

If you didn’t carve up all your pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, it’s time to cook with them. And what better to do than make a big pot of deliciousness that you can eat for days (or easily feed a family of five).

There’s a six-week span every year in which I’m thinking pumpkin everything. Pumpkin bacon? Yes, Whole Foods has it (I saw it there yesterday). Pumpkin pie? I can’t wait! I’ve been seeing some recipes making their rounds (thanks Wellnessmama), so my engineering brain thought what the heck? Why not pumpkin chili? Let’s see if we can add some spice and take it to the next level.  

Ta DA! It ended up being a very savory and filling dish. It’s spicy, yet sweet and not too pumpkiny. If you want the pumpkin to play more of a starring role, then my bet is you could bring this flavor to the top by simply doubling the amount of pumpkin.

Warning:  Some of you might want to avoid the cayenne pepper, as some research indicates it can harm those with autoimmune issues. However, for the rest of us cayenne adds a fun little warming to the tongue and can have a number of health benefits, including its ability to:

• Help kill fungus (1)
• Help kill cancer (2)
• Help lower inflammation (3)(4)

The interwebs are filled with lots of astounding stories about its use. I’m not sure I believe all of them, but at this point I think the research indicates it can be helpful for our health. I’m not suggesting to use it on a daily basis, but I think it’s a good spice to use weekly. If you can, have some fun with it. Now, let’s move on to the recipe!

SCD Pumpkin Chili

The ingredients I used are as follows:

• 1 Pound of Ground Beef
• 1 Pound of Ground Pork
• 2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes 15/16oz (Organic, Nothing Added)
• 1 Can of Tomato Paste 6oz (Organic, Nothing Added)
• 1 Can of Pumpkin 16oz (Organi,c Nothing Added) or 2 Cups of Cooked Pumpkin
• 16oz Cup of Homemade Chicken Stock (or other stock)
• 1.5 Medium Onions (Chopped)
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons Paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Celery Seed
• 1/2 Teaspoon Jamaican All-Spice
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 10 Cloves Garlic (Diced)
• 1/3 Cup of Honey
• 1 Bunch of Green Scallions for Crunch

How to Make the SCD Legal Pumpkin Chili

I went ahead and made this recipe the lazy way.  You could speed it up if you sautéed the onions and garlic ahead of time and then added them into the pot. But if you’re like me and you’d rather wait an extra 30 minutes than clean another pan, then follow these steps:

Step 1: Brown meat in large stock pot (8 qt or bigger).

Step 2: Dice the garlic and chop the onion into bite-sized pieces and add to pot. Keep stirring throughout.

Step 3: Add chicken stock to the pot. (Other stocks can be used. This is just what I had in the house.)

Step 4: Add tomatoes, tomato paste and pumpkin to the pot. Keep at a light simmer (uncovered).

Step 5: Add spices and make sure it’s not simmering too hot. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.

Step 6: After 30 minutes, or the onions are at your desired texture, add the honey and stir. Cook for another 5 min.

Step 7: Garnish and serve!

If you eat dairy, you could always add some cheese to kick it up another notch!

Please tell me below what sort of crazy chili recipes you will be making this year. I’m looking forward to trying some new ones.

-Steve