Happy Fall, everyone! What better way to welcome the new season than with a dish full of Fall flavors? If you didn’t know already, Fall is my favorite season and I am so excited to cook meals with all the best flavors Fall has offer, particularly pumpkin, apple and butternut squash 🙂

As the weather cools, it means only one thing: crockpot season is back! I mean, you can cook with your crockpot all year round, but it just seems that we tend to see more crockpot recipes pop up as it becomes chillier outside. This recipe can also be made with an Instant Pot, I’ve added instructions for timing below.

For this dish, I’ve taken a traditional turkey chili recipe and added an autumn twist with the addition of the pumpkin. For those who may be skeptical, don’t worry. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle and will not overpower the dish. So if you’re looking for an easy dish to celebrate the beginning of Fall, check this one out!

Timing:

• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 4-8 hours (for crockpot) or 25 minutes (for instant pot)
• Total Time:
  • 4-8 hours for crockpot
  • 40-50 minutes for instant pot

Ingredients: makes 9 servings

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 15 oz cans of white beans
• 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 4.5 oz can of chopped green chile
• 2 cups chicken broth
• chopped cilantro (for topping)
• Greek yogurt or sour cream (for topping)

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add the turkey meat and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Once cooked, add to the crockpot.

Heat up another drizzle of oil in the skillet and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the cumin and cook for another minute. Once complete, add to the crockpot.

Add the beans, pumpkin, green chilis, chicken broth, chili pepper, bay leaves and oregano to the crockpot. In the crock pot, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. In the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Natural release.

Before serving, remove the bay leaves. Top with cilantro, greek yogurt, sour cream or red onions as desired. I served mine over a plate of quinoa but you can also choose to serve it over rice or nothing at all. Enjoy!