Pumpkin and Ale Turkey Chili

This is a huge autumn favourite of ours, and while we use the same basic techniques and a few staple ingredients (pumpkin, onions, and ground turkey), we have yet to make this dish the same way twice. We are presenting below the specifics of how we made this chili, but we can’t encourage you enough to play around with different ingredients! Here are a few alterations to this recipe that we’ve made in the past that turned out well.

1. Swap out the ale for another liquid like apple cider or coffee
2. Adding beans (chickpeas, great northern, or even greenbeans)
3. Using a different type of apple
4. Adding some kale instead of the shaved brussels sprouts
5. Trying ground pork or beef instead of turkey
6. Using Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce instead of Jalapenos to add a smoky flavour
7. Adding Corn
8. Adding Quinoa
9. Using different cheeses to top it off

We are serving this “as is” tonight, but it goes very well over a split baked potato, cornbread, or a grain like quinoa or rice.

Time: 1 hour 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• Ground Turkey
• Pumpkin (fresh or can…directions are for fresh, but you can skip all the pumpkin prep with a can of pureed pumpkin)
• Onion
• Pink Lady (or other sweet) Apple
• Jalapeno (amount is your call depending on your desired spice level)
• Red Bell Pepper
• Mushrooms
• Brussels Sprouts
• Walnuts
• Tomato Paste
• Seasonings (we used salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little ground clove)
• A bottle of ale

Method:

• If using fresh pumpkin, peel, cube, and boil (we used about 1/4 of a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin for this)
• Dice your onion, and cut your jalapeno into slices. Heat some oil in a large pot, and add your onion and jalapeno, and allow to caramelize.
• While your onion and jalapeno cook, dice your red peppers and apple, slice your mushrooms and Brussels sprouts, and chop your walnuts.
• When the onion and jalapeno have caramelized, add in your ground turkey, and sautee to brown.
• When the turkey is nearly browned, add your other veggies, apple, and walnuts, and sautee for a little while until the veggies soften. Add your seasonings here too.
• Puree your pumpkin in a food processor/blender/Ninja (or open your can of pureed pumpkin)
• Add your pumpkin and about a half of a small can of tomato paste to your meat and veggie medley, and stir to combine.
• Slowly, add your ale, and stir.
• Let everything simmer for about 30-40 minutes on low heat.
• Scoop, top with cheese, and enjoy!