Basic Chili Gets A Fall-Inspired Makeover With This Pantry Staple

Something about chilly breezes, early sunsets, and the scent of woodsmoke makes us crave two things: hearty stews and pumpkin-infused treats. Make the two one and the same by adding pumpkin puree to your favorite spicy slow cooker beef chili. Clocking in at about 6 grams of fiber per cup of puree, this upgrade not only helps you reach your fiber goals, it also makes your chili thicker and richer while infusing it with lots of nutty, mellow, pumpkiny flavor.

The best part is you can just add a standard 15 ounce can of puree to your favorite recipe, making it fast and convenient as well as nutritious and delicious. Pumpkin naturally pairs well with standard chili ingredients, such as ground beef, starchy beans, onions, and various piquant seasonings. The richness of the beef sinks into the pumpkin and gently enhances its subtle sweetness, which elevates the meat's savory flavor in a delicious feedback loop. The puree's velvety texture also helps turn the chili silky and dense without becoming too heavy, while its nutty undertones add appropriate complexity to the meal. Pumpkin puree also helps your chili achieve that vintage, old-school flavor so many of us remember since it's the perfect partner for taming the sharpness of bittersweet molasses or Worcestershire sauce.

Though canned pumpkin is an easy, shelf-stable option for making your chili autumnal, learning how to make your own pumpkin puree infuses your chili with a fresher, beautifully caramelized pumpkin flavor. You can also easily freeze leftover puree (one pumpkin yields about 5 cups), making future pots of chili easy as an autumn breeze. Either way, this dish comes together fairly easily, relying on seasoning and cooking technique to develop its deep, savory richness.

Ground turkey and ground beef are both delicious protein options. Beef blends with the pumpkin to create a distinctly seasonal flavor while the turkey acts more like a sponge for the flavors around it, letting the pumpkin shine. Lamb or venison also pair deliciously with pumpkin, offering a rustic flavor combination that's robust without being gamey. While it's perfectly okay to stick with typical chili ingredients, such as cayenne and paprika, adding pumpkin also gives you carte blanche to experiment with seasonal flavors, including the aforementioned molasses, a tiny spoonful of ginger paste, or a pinch of cloves. Herbs, such as sage, rosemary, and tarragon, also elevate the pumpkin's flavor, easily transitioning this hearty meal from barbecue season to sweater weather.