One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. We got a HUGE turkey (24 glorious pounds!) so we would have plenty to eat, share and have leftovers. Even with sending turkey home with friends, I have enough leftover turkey for three meals plus the carcass for homemade broth. Earlier this fall I pinned a recipe for Pumpkin Turkey Chili because I thought it sounded good. Recently I took a good look at the recipe and realized it was missing a few critical ingredients (like beans!) for chili. So I decided to wing it and make my own. This is the first time I made this recipe. I’m sharing it with you anyway, mostly because I won’t make it again till next year and I want to remember it.
Ingredients:
1-2 cups turkey, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup corn
1/2 cup mashed potatoes (I was trying to use up leftovers. You couldn’t tell they were in there. Next time I want to add a cup.)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 cups (or cans) diced tomatoes (I had a quart of frozen diced tomatoes so I used those.
3 cups (or two cans) of beans. I used black and kidney but use whatever you have on hand.
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups pumpkin (or however much you have leftover)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (I used a 1/2 tsp and The Man said it was too much, so use less!)
2 tsp cumin (We like cumin, I should have used more)
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
To Make:
1. Toss everything in your crockpot. Let it cook on low for 6-7 hours or until your house smells yummy and everything is hot and the flavors have mingled.
2. Top with shredded cheese, avocado and/or sour cream if you like that stuff. Enjoy!
I think some fresh cilantro would be good to add but I didn’t have any on hand. If you make it, please let me know how it turns out. If you tweak it, I’d love to know what you did so I can make this recipe even yummier. On the up side, Munchkin ate all hers and enjoyed the leftovers of the chili too. That alone makes it a win in my book!