Pumpkin Chili

Becky Johns

My daughter Karin makes this every year around Halloween. It is more nutritious than plain chili yet there is no pumpkin flavor, and the pumpkin pie spice mellows out the chili flavor and creates a new flavor, but it's so good! She likes to use an orange bell pepper instead of a green one for Fall. Her children love it and people who normally don't like chili love this. She found the recipe in Family Fun Magazine. (Makes ten servings.)

2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (or orange)
1 cup sliced celery
1 or 2 (15 oz.) cans of red kidney beans
2 (16 oz.) cans of cut up tomatoes
1 cup plain canned pumpkin (NOT spiced pumpkin pie filling)
1 (12 oz.) bottle of chili sauce (Home Made brand in the round jar is good)
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. of pepper

Cook the beef in a Dutch oven. Drain fat. Cook the green pepper, onion, and celery in a skillet.
Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Combine all the ingredients in the Dutch oven (or large, heavy pot). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1- 1 1/2 hours.