Secret Recipe Club - Chicken and Pumpkin Chili

It's Secret Recipe time of the month again. Secret Recipe Club is always my favorite time of the month. As you all know, Secret Recipe Club is a great group of bloggers who make another member's recipe (in secret) and reveal it on the same day. This week its group C's turn. We also have a bunch of wonderful new people in Group C since group D is on temporary hiatus. I had the pleasure to read the blog of one of our new Group C members.

You all know April over at Angels Homestead. If I remember correctly, she used to be the leader of SRC. She lives with her husband on a three acre homestead in Indiana. It sounds so beautiful and pastoral and oh so different than life as I know it. I would love a week to walk in her shoes and see a different side of things. I love my city life, but sometimes I feel the pull of a country life begin to grow.

April has a bunch of great recipes on her blog, including allergy friendly ones. I was in love with her vanilla wafer recipe for homemade banana pudding and I was 100% sure that I would make the Pan Fried Hominy and pair it with pork chops and okra. I was sure it would happen...and then it rained for 2 weeks straight. Two weeks at 50 degrees with not even a ray of sunlight. After one week of rain, I knew I needed something else and I thought her Turkey Pumpkin Chili would certainly do the trick.

This was delicious and totally different. The pumpkin was understated and it was the perfect spice level. Just top it with a little sour cream or pepperjack cheese and it's absolutely perfect. Normally, I make chili from dry beans, but the use of canned beans makes this a wonderful weeknight meal that comes together in less than an hour. I changed things up a little by using chicken breast instead of turkey (because it was on sale) and fresh roasted chilis instead of canned, but the spirit is the same.

Thanks again April for this wonderful recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
• 1 lb fresh anaheim chilis, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 cans navy beans, rinsed
• 1 can pureed pumpkin
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• sour cream and cheese for serving

Directions

1. Poach chicken breasts in chicken stock until cooked through. Remove, pull chicken and set aside. Roast chilis over a fire, peel, deseed and chop. Set aside.
2. Sautee onion and garlic in a little oil with spices until fragrant and soft. Add pumpkin, chicken stock, beans and chilis. Simmer for 20 minutes to bring flavors together. Add chicken and simmer 15 more minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Serve chili with sour cream and cheese.

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