Maple Pumpkin and Beer Chili
This recipe adds quite a few flavors that go beyond traditional chili. Personally, I have a hard time with really spicey food, so this chili which adds some sweetness from the Pumpkin puree and maple syrup is right up my alley. Laurie adapted it from “Maple Pumpkin Chili” from a book by Aimee Wimbush-Bourque called “Brown Eggs and Jam Jars”, p. 262. Laurie’s adaption was to add Montreal Steak Seasonings and the 8 ounces of beer to the ingredient list. We were out of the Peak Maple Collaboration beer this time around, so a bottle of Sam Adam’s Octoberfest worked just fine. I like the fact that after using 8 ounces for the recipe, there was another 8 ounces in the bottle for me to sip on while I watched Laurie pull it all together.
What you need:
- 1 T. olive oil
- 3 mild Italian sausages (about 2/3 lb.)
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ to 1 tsp. Montréal steak seasoning
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup stock, beef or chicken
- 8 oz. beer, preferably Peak Organic Brewing Co.’s Maple Collaboration
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 T. pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
Topping options:
- Baby spinach leaves (Laurie loves adding spinach to many (most?) recipes)
- Avocado
- Sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- Cilantro
Three of my favorite ingredients:
Critical ingredient: pumpkin puree
Critical ingredient: Beer
Critical ingredient: maple syrup
What to do:
1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pot like the enamel lined cast iron pot shown above.
2. Slit sausage casings and remove the filling. Discard the casings. Add sausage meat and ground beef to the pot. Cook the meats until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the ground meats into smaller pieces.
3. Stir in onion and fennel; cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, Montréal steak seasoning, and black pepper; stir to combine.
5. Add stock, beer, pumpkin purée, tomatoes, kidney beans, and maple syrup. Stir well as you bring the chili up to a low boil.
6. Simmer for 1 hour over low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.
7.Serve with toppings such as avocado, nonfat plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, cilantro, and/or salsa.
Toppings of grated cheddar cheeese, cilantro, and Greek yogurt
Served with a kale salad