Spicy Pumpkin Chili and Cornbread

It's finally fall here in San Diego! I'm so excited! Last night we had rain all evening and the air had that crisp coolness to it. I don't know why, but this weather makes me feel more energized. Maybe because the heat from the summer drained me. It was a perfect evening to make one of my favorite autumn meals.

The chili is perfect to give you your pumpkin fix as well as warm you to the bone on a cold day. The corn bread is so buttery and sweet that you won't need dessert. I'm not exaggerating!

Spicy Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce with garlic and onions
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir the beef in the skillet until crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, garlic, and onion; continue cooking until the beef has browned and the onion has softened and turned translucent. Add the green and red bell pepper and cook 5 minutes more.
2. While the beef is cooking, combine the kidney beans, black beans, Great Northern beans, tomato sauce, tomato sauce with garlic and onions, petite diced tomatoes, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and pumpkin puree in a large slow cooker. Season with pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir in the ground beef mixture.
3. Cook on Low until the chili is hot, 1 to 2 hours.

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.
2. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Today when I got home from work, I caught Mr. Brilliant nerding out on his Xbox.
He's wearing the headphones and everything.
Doesn't he look so cute!
But he's allowed to take it easy because he's recovering from a minor surgery.

This weekend will be filled with my birthday celebration!
 So excited!
 I will share the details of my party next week and you can see how I put together all my
 ideas from this post.