Pumpkin Chili... wait... WHAT?

I had been seeing a lot of pumpkin chili recipes floating around for a while now. I always just shook my head. Pumpkin in chili?? YUCK! I'm not the biggest fan of pumpkin flavor. I don't like pumpkin in my coffee, I don't like pumpkin pie. I know, I know, I'm a freak. Tell me something I don't know!

Something just kept nagging at me to try it. So tonight, I had planned on making my chili and I threw caution to the wind and threw in some pure pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice. Holy crap did it turn out delicious! The flavor is quite mellow, not overwhelming at all.

I cannot recommend it enough! Try it! I'll bet you'll be just as pleasantly surprised as I was!

You will need:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 and 1/2 lbs of  96% lean ground beef
• 1 lb lean steak, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 package of chili seasoning of your choice (or make your own!!)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, in juice
• 1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large pot, brown your meats with the garlic.

2. When the meat is almost completely  cooked through, add remaining ingredients, stir well, and bring to a boil.

3. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 1 hour.

I served it topped with a little parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese and a couple crispy tortilla strips. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmm!