If you are in pretty much anywhere but my home state of Florida, fall means the weather is beginning to get cooler, the leaves are beginning to change color and your life is beginning to be pumpkinized. Pumpkin Spice Mania is all around us and it seems to be a polarizing topic. Yay or nay to all that pumpkin flavored...everything? If you’ve clicked on this link I think I know where you stand (wink wink). At bare minimum, you are at least Pumpkin-curious and I fully support that. Me? Well, give me some Uggs and a pumpkin spice latte because I am ALL about it!

Now, to the reason we are all gathered here today...Pumpkin Chipotle Chili. Don’t let the name fool you, this chili packs a punch and has consistently been a crowd pleaser at the annual Friendsgiving. Best of all...you get to enjoy your delicious pumpkin beer while making it!

Notes & Substitutions:

Cooking with a Crock Pot: In the mood to set it & forget it? You can easily throw this in a slow cooker/Crock Pot for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Cooking with Pressure Cooker/Ninja Foodi/Instant Pot: In a rush? When you get to step 6, pressure cook for 5 minutes. Pro tip: use less bay leaves & a smaller piece of cinnamon stick if you are pressure cooking so it doesn’t overpower the other yummy flavors.
Cooking on a Stovetop: Cover & simmer on low for 45 minutes - 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Pumpkin Beer: For my east coasters: I prefer to use Shipyard Pumpkinhead. For my midwesterners: Spencer Brewery ‘The Monkster Mash Pumpkin Ale’ is very close to Pumpkinhead. I've also used Dogfish Head ‘Punkin Ale’ which can be easily be found in just about any state.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: Here’s where you need to be careful! If you want a little bit of spice, only add a smidge of the adobo sauce to start. If you want more of a kick, finely chop a little bit of the chipotle pepper without the seeds. If you’re like my uncle who wants it to melt his taste buds on contact, include the pepper with seeds. Use at your own risk and start small so that you can add a little bit at a time to reach your desired level of spice.
Adding Cubed Pumpkin: This recipe is delicious any time of the year & doesn’t typically call for cubed pumpkin (there’s still the pumpkin puree). However, since pumpkin spice is life right now, I like to add cubed pumpkin to the mix too.
Level Up Your Toppings: You can use the typical chili toppings like green onion, red onion, parsley, cilantro, sour cream, cheese or crackers. If you are someone who enjoys the combo of sweet and spicy, replace your crackers for graham crackers. Trust me...it’s magical!

Ingredients: See ‘A Pinch, A Dash & A Smidge’ for measuring references.

A can of pumpkin puree (NOT the pumpkin pie puree)
2 bottles of pumpkin beer (1 for the chili & 1 for yourself. See notes & substitutions section)
1 small butternut squash (cubed)
1 medium sweet potato (cubed)
½ small sweet yellow onion (diced)
½ small sweet red onion (diced)
1 head of garlic (minced)
1 can stewed tomatoes (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 can red kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can dark red kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can pink kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see notes & substitutions before adding to chili)
A few dashes of chili powder
A few dashes of ground cumin
A dash of nutmeg
A dash of ground cinnamon
A dash of allspice
A cinnamon stick
2-3 bay leaves
A smidge of cooking oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly toss cubed butternut squash & sweet potato in oil, salt & pepper. Place on a baking sheet & bake for about 45 minutes or until it starts to lightly brown and is slightly tender.
While the squash & sweet potato is baking, turn on the saute function on your pressure cooker. Lightly grease the pressure cooker pot, then saute onions & garlic. If you are using a Crock Pot, you can saute onions & garlic in a qpan, then transfer to slow cooker. If you are using a stock pot, you can saute them directly in the stock pot.
When onions begin to look a little transparent, turn off saute function, then mix in pumpkin puree, beans & tomatoes.
Top off mixture with a pumpkin beer.
Add chili powder, cumin, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
1. If using a pressure cooker: Cover with pressure cooker lid, seal & set for 5 minutes.
2. If using a slow cooker: Cover & let cook on low for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. If using a stock pot on stovetop: Cover & let simmer on low for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Fish out the bay leaves & cinnamon stick, then add roasted squash & sweet potatoes, then add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. (See ‘Notes & Substitutions’ section before adding to chili)
Add salt & pepper to taste.
The hard work is done. Pop open that second can of pumpkin beer!
Serve as-is or add popular chili toppings like sour cream, green onions, cheese or crackers. Level up your chili by replacing your regular with graham crackers. Trust me...it might change your life!