Well despite a beautiful fall, old-man winter is knocking at my door, about to snatch away the last bit of warm weather before the on-set of the official “holiday season” and blustery temps. But you know what that means…only a few days left to enjoy all things Pumpkin before the switch to all things Peppermint commences!

I don’t know about you, but the weekend after thanksgiving I tend to feel a little turkey’d out and just want to stay inside, relax, and enjoy some warm, comforting (and of course delicious) foods. That is precisely why I plan to make this Perfect Pumpkin Chili, which just so happens to go perfectly with this time of year. Best of all, I can make it ahead of time because it freezes so well, and have it ready for the weekend!

Why pumpkin chili you may ask? Doesn’t that taste funny??

For those who may only associate “pumpkin” flavors to pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice lattes, I can see where your skepticism may get the best of you. However, the flavor we tend to associate with pumpkin, comes primarily from pumpkin pie spice mix (consisting of cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg) and sugar. Plain pumpkin, the squash, actually has a very mild, squashy-like flavor…not at all what you’d think of as a staple dessert. It is the texture however, that makes it so appealing, giving your pies that creamy goodness.

After all that…plain pumpkin pure added to your chili gives it a wonderful rich, creamy, and thick texture, and offers a slight flavor twist on traditional chili’s. Not to mention that pumpkin offers a nutritional boost of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and some of the B-vitamins. Mmmmmmm, nutrition! Give me another bowl of THAT! This chili can be made with or without meat, so if you need a vegetarian option or something a little lighter, this can go either way.

So grab a spoon and dig into this fall favorite one more time this season!!