Slow Cooker Lentil and Pumpkin Chili
| October 19, 2012 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Fall, Light, Mexican and Southwestern, One Pan, Soups and Stews, special projects, Vegetarian or Vegan |
My slow cooker has been a lifesaver this fall. Life has been insanely busy, and I haven’t had much time or energy to cook. Being able to come home from work to a meal hot and ready is basically the only thing keeping me from eating take out every night at this point.
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The only thing I hate about my slow cooker is that the interior is black and it’s a pain to clean – I always end up missing little bits of dried on food only to discover them days later when the light hits it just right. Gross!
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Reynolds recently asked me if I wanted to create a recipe using their slow cooker liners though, and a lightbulb went off. I actually had a half-used box from last winter in the back of my cabinet, but I had completely forgotten about them. They make cleanup so easy – just pick up the liner, throw it in the trash, and give the pot a quick rinse. No icky dried on food in sight. I actually started storing the box of liners right inside the pot so that I don’t forget about them.
Anyway though, back to the chili. You guys have to try this! The lentils give it a nice, meaty flavor and the pumpkin adds a touch of sweetness and really thickens everything up. (Make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling ,which is sweetened and has all sorts of spices in it.) It’s warm and cozy and perfect for fall.
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In addition to a simple, no fuss dinner this recipe is great for football season – and we all know how hard it is to find healthy football friendly food, right? I love this chili tucked inside a baked potato and topped with a little cheese or sour cream (and come on, served like this it even looks like a football) but it’s also great on top of a hot dog. Whip up a batch for your next tailgate party – it’s sure to be a hit with both the vegetarians and the carnivores in the crowd.
Lentil and Pumpkin Chili
Serves 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 can (15.9 ounce) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15.9 ounce) Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15.9 ounce) Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles
- 1 can (15.9 ounce) Pumpkin
- 2 cups Water
- 1 cup Lentils
- 1 Onion, minced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
- 1 Carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Chipotle Chile Pepper
Preparation
- Line slow cooker with 1 Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner. Fit the liner snugly against the bottom and sides of the bowl; pull the top of the liner of the sides of the bowl.
- Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours.
- Carefully remove lid; serve.
This post was sponsored by Reynold’s Slow Cooker Liners. I was compensated for my time creating this recipe, however all opinions are my own.
You KNOW I’m giving myself for giving my slow cooker away right now. you just know it.
1) I have slow cooker liners, but I regularly forget to use them. My slow cooker is black as well and I totally sympathize with your plight. It’s so hard to get clean!
2) I make chili fairly regularly, but I never think to put it on baked potatoes for some reason. Thanks for the inspiration; definitely doing so soon!
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As the weather gets colder, I can definitely use a few more warm, fiber-rich meals like this one to add to my recipe repertoire. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’ve been wanting to make a pumpkin chili, but I knew my husband wouldn’t go for it. This is perfect to take with me to work for lunch! Thanks!
This looks so delicious! My husband and I are both vegan so this would be perfect for work lunches. Do you think I could cook this on the stove instead of a slow cooker? My slow cooker is too small
Sure! There’s no reason that it can’t be made on stovetop, but you may have to make some adjustments to ensure that the lentils cook. I’d probably cook them separately from everything else and add them in once they’re already soft just to be safe.
Thank you so much! Making this now for dinner
You could add just a little low-sodium chicken broth to prevent the breasts drying out.
The Beanery was the actually the first true forerunner for slow
cookers. In a lot of cases, the best types of meat to
make use of in slow cooking are often the less costly cuts because the greater fat content means
that the meat becomes beautifully tender throughout the duration of cooking.