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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Chicken, Pumpkin, and White Bean Chili

Chicken, Pumpkin, and White Bean Chili

A hearty white chili with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.

A hearty white chili recipe with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.

Subtitle: Pumpkin Chunk'n Chicken White Bean Chili


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A hearty white chili recipe with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.


Would you like another change-of-pace chili using abundant seasonal produce? One that does not use tomatoes, green or otherwise? I would. So I made this one. I'm all about using the available veggies in new and creative ways. While I adore the simplicity of a Summer Tomato Sandwich [and in fact have been enjoying several each week with the final tomatoes of the year] when life give me lots . . . and lots and lots . . . of pumpkins I get inspired.


A hearty white chili recipe with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.



Since what I'm blogging about is what we're eating, primarily I focus on savory foods. While Tasty Pumpkin Treats and Pumpkin Eggnog Chocolate Chip Waffles are fun ways to eat the pumpkins that volunteer in the back yard, reality is I just can't eat like that all the time. Nor do I want to! We need a foundation of wholesome meals underneath the treats. Like this chili. It uses up the copious pumpkin in a healthy and flavorful way.


An article about me in the local paper, photo taken the day I made this chili.


Normally I don't share a photo of what I looked like while fixing this dish, but it just happened that I was interviewed for the local paper the day I made this. You can read the article here.

For more recipes using pumpkins, please see my Pumpkin Recipes Collection. For more recipes including beans, please see my Beans (Legumes) Recipes Collection. For more recipes using Hatch chiles, please see my Hatch Chile Recipe Collection. For more recipes using chicken, use the search function on the blog because I haven't gone that far in my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. It's a resource for folks like me eating seasonally from the farm share, and right now my farm share doesn't give me chicken. I've got boards on Pinterest devoted to piles of chicken, though. Want to know how to use this blog? Click here.


A hearty white chili recipe with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.

A hearty white chili recipe with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.

Chicken, Pumpkin, and White Bean Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 pie pumpkin, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)
  • olive oil (you'll need about 2 to 3 Tablespoons, divided)
  • a healthy pinch of salt and grinds of pepper
  • 2 large BSCB (boneless skinless chicken breasts), about 1 pound, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup chopped leeks (you could sub what you've got--yellow onion, red onion, shallot)
  • 1 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped (I use my roasted garlic, but fresh is also fine)
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1+½ teaspoons Arizona dreaming (or cayenne pepper, your choice)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
  • ¾ cup chopped roasted Hatch chiles (or the roasted chile of your choice, or 2x4 oz cans)
  • 2 cups cooked white beans (mash about half of them)
  • a quart of stock (I used vegetable because that was available, chicken would also be great)
  • 12 ounces of beer (I used Sam Adams)
  • to serve--sour cream, shredded cheese, cornbread, tortilla chips--whatever you prefer 

To Make Roasted Pumpkin Cubes

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper for best results.
  2. In a large bowl, toss pumpkin cubes with about a tablespoon of olive oil. 
  3. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper over top and stir to mix the spices across the pumpkin.
  4. Spread cubes atop parchment-lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and bake for another 15 minutes until lightly browned and fork tender.

Instructions for Chili

  1. Preheat a large pot (minimum of 3 quarts, but you'll have more room with a 5 quart pot. I used a 7 quart which was slightly too big but it's what I've got) over medium heat. Add about a Tablespoon of oil. 
  2. Sauté the chicken chunks in oil for about 5 minutes and then add the leeks and peppers (and fresh garlic, if using fresh not roasted garlic). 
  3. Continue to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes until the chicken is browned and the leeks and peppers are softened. Stir in roasted garlic at this point (if using roasted garlic, not fresh). Sprinkle the spices (cumin through salt) over top and stir to coat with fat.
  4. Add the chiles, beans, roasted pumpkin cubes, chicken stock, and beer. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium low, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Serve with your favorite chili toppings (we like sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese), maybe a spoonful of salsa verde, and sweet cornbread on the side.
A hearty white chili recipe with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.
Behinds the scenes--I took 8 photos with the handle of my Pretty Purple Pot (Amazon Affiliate Link) in focus and the food all kinds of blurry. Over and over again. Thank goodness for leftovers at lunch!  

10 comments:

  1. This looks delicious! I love using fresh pumpkin in recipes. And perfect timing for this post as the cooler weather begins... chili season, woo hoo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruth,
      I am ready for a big ol' pot of chili. Something that can hang out until we're done with all the business and then fill us up with yumminess.Thanks!
      I've always wondered where folks who seek out fresh pumpkins get them . . .
      Do you grow your own, have compost volunteers, get some in the farm share or hit up the market?

      Delete
    2. Kirsten,

      There is a big market stand that stays open most week days across from our grocery store. They had SO many available before Halloween. I got a little excited and purchased one too many.... But that leaves me with lots of pumpkins and squash to experiment with! One day, it would be awesome to be able to grow my own.

      Delete
    3. Ruth,
      With luck, life is long and there will be ample opportunity to grow your own. Or to have them grow themselves without much in the way of input from you! That works for me with vining vegetables and berries, but apparently it's NOT quite the way you grow kids.
      Oh well.
      Thanks!

      Delete
    4. Kristen -

      We sacrificed another pumpkin last night and I made this for dinner. It was fabulous - thank you so much for the fun twist on chili for a chilly evening :)

      Delete
    5. Ruth,
      I'm delighted to read this. Thanks!

      Delete
  2. I love this recipe. Might even make it tonight - a great way to use the small pie pumpkin that I've had since before Halloween.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura,
      It's funny, how my desire for sweet pumpkin recipes fades after Thanksgiving and yet I'm left with plenty of pumpkins to eat!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. Just made this tonight - it's really delicious. I added a sweet potato that was lying around and made a few substitutions among the spices (adding chipotle chili powder instead of cayenne when I ran out of cayenne) - and I may have poured in more beer than required, so I let mine simmer for about 90 minutes, until it got really thick and wonderful But the bottom line was that my husband ran to get seconds as soon as he cleaned his plate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura,
      Thank you so much for circling back to tell me how you made this your own!
      Much appreciated! It's always gratifying when they go back for seconds.

      Delete