Pumpkin Chili

I took this to the community haunted hayride last night. Pumpkin chili IN a pumpkin was a big hit for the Halloween party! For a festive presentation, carve a relief design on the side of the pumpkin. I cut a notch in the lid and top of the pumpkin to fit my ladle.

This recipe filled the pumpkin about ¾ full, just enough to transport on the floor of the car protected by my daughter’s feet, without spilling. But drive carefully.

Amazingly, the pumpkin was a great insulator. It wasn’t too hot to carry and the chili retained warmth for a long time outdoors. They ate it all and the dish is disposable, just bring home the ladle!

I waited until Friday to shop for my pumpkins. By then, Wal-mart had them marked down to $2 each. I picked one for the chili, one to carve and as a bonus I picked up a huge winter squash they had thrown in the bin, not realizing it was not a pumpkin. A tremendous savings, since the best price I have found for winter squash is 99¢ per pound!

Serves 20

Ingredients
1 pound boneless pork loin, well trimmed of fat and diced 1/2”
1 cup onion, peeled and diced 1/2”
2 cups red, yellow and green bell peppers, seeded and diced 1/2”
3/4 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2” (almost 4 cups)
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin, ground
1 tsp. oregano, dried and crumbled
2 cups homemade chicken broth (or 1 (14.5 oz.) can)
1 quart cut tomatoes (or 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced)
1 can (15.5 oz.) black beans, drained
1 can (15.5 oz.) white hominy, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)
1 pumpkin shell and lid, 10”x10”

Directions
1. Season a 5 quart kettle over very low heat: Heat kettle until hot and dry. Remove from heat and lightly coat with canola oil spray. Return to very low heat while dicing the meat and vegetables.
2. Prepare pork and veggies and assemble the rest of the ingredients.
3. Sauté pork, peppers and onion over high heat, stirring frequently, until meat is browned and onion is translucent.
4. Add squash and seasonings and cook, stirring frequently, until squash is heated through.
5. Stir in rest of ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
6. Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cover and simmer over low heat for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.
8. Spoon into prepared pumpkin and serve.

Inspiration from:
http://www.lhj.com/recipe/pork/pork-chili-filled-mini-pumpkins/
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