Pumpkin Beef Chilli

Find more recipes at fussfreeflavours.com

Lifting a spoonful of rich red-brown chilli from the dish.

No ratings yet

This warming, rich pumpkin beef chilli recipe is full of flavour. Start it on the stove top and then allow to cook slowly in the oven or slow cooker for a generous, comforting meal that is great for sharing or filling the freezer.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Ingredients

300 g prepared pumpkin
2 peppers
1 large onion - or 2 small onions/5 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp beef dripping or oil
400– 450 g beef mince - Note 1
1 tsp smoked/chipotle chilli flake
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 can kidney beans in chilli sauce - Note 2
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
2 tbsp pickled jalapeno chilli slices

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

Peel, trim and chop the vegetables.
300 g prepared pumpkin, 2 peppers, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic
Put the casserole on the stove top over a medium heat and melt heat the drippiing or oil. Add the mince and fry. If the mince gives out a lot of liquid, drain it off and reserve to add later.
1 tbsp beef dripping or oil, 400– 450 g beef mince
After 5 minutes, add the onion and continue until the onion is fragrant and translucent.
Add the spices, peppers and garlic and cook for another few minutes until the peppers are softening and the spices are fragrant. Add a little black pepper and salt at this stage but don't overdo it.
1 tsp smoked/chipotle chilli flake, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper
Add the prepared pumpkin, chilli beans, pickled jalapenos, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and the cocoa,together with any reserved liquid if you had to remove it from the beef.
1 can kidney beans in chilli sauce, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste, 2 tbsp pickled jalapeno chilli slices
Put a little water in each of the cans and swill to catch any remaining tomato or sauce, then add to the pot. Stir well. The ingredients should be just poking up out of the liquid, so add a little more water if necessary.
Cover and cook in the oven at 160 °C / 140 °C fan / GasMark 3 / 325 °F for 2 hours. Serve hot, with rice, baked potatoes and your favourite chilli toppings.

Notes

Ingredient notes

You do need to use a beef mince with some fat, as there is lots of flavour in the fat, and it makes the meat moist. Aim for 10-20% fat. I usually get a mince that is about 15% fat.
Kidney beans in chilli sauce are one of my favourite cheat ingredients. If you don't have them, use a can of rinsed regular kidney beans and add some chilli sauce and water.

Variations

To make pumpkin beef chilli in the slow cooker, follow the method above to the end of Step 4. Then put everything in the slow cooker. Put the lid on the slow cooker and set to cook for 3–4 hours on high or 6–7 on low. I tend to start on high for half an hour and then switch to low.
Leave the lid ajar for the last 20 minutes to thicken the chilli.
You can use the whole pumpkin or squash to stretch the dish and add extra vegetables to taste. Baby corn, green beans and extra canned beans are all good, and you could add a can of rinsed white beans too.
Adjust the heat and spicing to your taste but don't forget that the spices develop with time and cooking, so don’t go too wild at the start.

Storage

This pumpkin beef chilli will mature if left overnight, with the spices becoming a little more pronounced and flavours melded.

Fridge – The chilli will keep well for three days in the fridge. As soon as it is cool enough, cover it and transfer to the fridge.

Freezer – As long as your mince was not cooked and then frozen before making the chilli, it will freeze nicely. Transfer it to stackable containers according to whether you want portions for one, two or more. When the chilli is cold, put the lids on and move to the freezer. Keeps well for three months.

Hints and tips

Don't be tempted to skip browning the beef. It really does make a difference to the flavour and helps to get a lovely deep colour too.
This recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to experiment with the proportions and spicing to suit your taste.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.