This week I was a sneaky chef. When I made Skinnytaste’s Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili, I didn’t tell my kids there was pumpkin in the chili. I added sour cream to hide the evidence and watched my kids stir the condiment into their bowls happily without a clue. After all, we always add sour cream to the kids’ chili to mask the heat.
“This is really good, but it tastes different,” my oldest observed when she tasted it.
“You like it?”
She nodded.
Good. And then like clockwork, my youngest daughter bolted off to the restroom, because she always needs to pee right in the middle of dinner.
Once she left the table, I asked my oldest again, “Do you really like it?”
“Yes, why?”
“I just want to make sure you really like it.”
“I do, but why?”
“Because there’s pumpkin in the chili. Not like pumpkin pie pumpkin, but a pumpkin puree like a mashed up pumpkin.”
“Really? Because this is good!”
“It is, isn’t it? But don’t tell Emmalynn!”
Allana relished in our little secret. Once Emmalynn returned to the table, Allana questioned her about the chili. “This chili is really good, isn’t it Emma?” She asked with devilish grin.
“Yes, it is really good! We need to eat this every week!”
Sounds like a plan to me.
Actually, I was pretty surprised as to how good this chili turned out to be. I had my doubts, but deep down inside, I knew my Gina (a.k.a. Skinnytaste) wouldn’t let me down.
Besides being chock full of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, C, E, and K, magnesium and potassium), it’s the perfect fall comfort food that’s so simple from start to finish. And because it’s a crock pot meal, it’s the perfect quick healthy dinner to have prepared and ready to serve before a long night of trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili
(Adapted from Skinnytaste.com)
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder, to taste
1 bay leaf
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 (15 oz cans) of white beans (northern, navy beans or cannellini), rinsed and drained
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4.5 oz canned chopped green chile
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
Sour cream for topping (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a large heavy sauté pan and 2 Tbsp olive oil over high heat. Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes. Add to crock pot.
If needed, add another tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan. Then add onions and garlic and sauté about 3 – 4 minutes. Add cumin and sauté another minute.
Add onion mixture to crock pot along with beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Top with a dollup of sour cream and chopped cilantro.
Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!
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Thank you for the reminder. I want to make a chili with pumpkin, and I totally forgot that was the plan for tomorrow night. I was thinking black beans, but this recipe sounds better.
I think black beans would work too! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh man – this looks amazing! I love trying new chili recipes. Plus anything with Pumpkin is a – ok with me this time of year!
Oh my goodness! That sounds so good!! I definitely want to make that!!! Thanks for sharing! Spa love!
That looks like an interesting mix!
I’m not a pumpkin fan, but if your kids didn’t notice it, maybe I wouldn’t either. Love chili!
Thanks I was looking for a fall chili recipe..kind to my diet..this is it! cant wait to try it.
YAY! And try it with reduced fat or fat free sour cream too because does add a nice creaminess to the chili. Enjoy!
I’m the odd one who doesn’t like the taste of pumpkin, but it sounds like you masked the taste well. I just may give it a try!
You really should! My husband doesn’t like pumpkin either, but he liked it. You can’t even taste the pumpkin. It just adds more body and a creamy texture to the chili.
Your kids conversation was convincing to me… I want to get some vitamin A rice pumpkin in my kids too. Thanks for sharing your chili on foodie friday.
This look oh-so yummy!!!
A visit from Food Trip Friday and thanks for joining!
Mom nice work on the chili! 🙂
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