Pumpkin Chicken Chili will warm you up on Halloween

How is it almost Halloween? This month flew by in record speed. I don’t know why, but October is almost as busy as December. It’s time to load up on candy for the darling trick-or-treaters and make a couple of big pots of chili for the family and friends that cycle through our house on Halloween night.

We always make two kinds of chili for Halloween. Randy makes “manly” beefy chili, and I make this week’s recipe — Pumpkin Chicken Chili. Nothing warms you up like a big, hot bowl full of chili on a cold night. I love Halloween not because dressing up is my thing. I love it because College Hill gets really into decorating, and kids from all over the city come to participate in the fun. If you come to my door, you’re getting candy. I don’t care how young or old you are.

A couple of shortcuts for this recipe, in case you’re tight on time: Roasting your own chicken creates lots of flavor, but if you need to, grab a rotisserie chicken instead. The second shortcut is to replace the pumpkin cubes with butternut squash cubes. You can purchase them already cut up.

If you do decide to stay strict with the recipe, be careful when chopping the pumpkin. A pumpkin’s density paired with its curves and a sharp knife can be a bit dangerous. Please, no trips to the ER this Halloween.

This Pumpkin Chicken Chili is delicious – once you make it, I’m confident you’ll work it into your dinner rotation. Fall soups make for welcome, cozy dinners and are perfect leftovers for lunches through the week. Most people think of sweet pumpkin treats, but savory pumpkin is just as delicious.

Hope your Halloween is spooky, your chili warms you right up, and you enjoy having a bit of normalcy back in this year’s holiday season.

Pumpkin Chicken Chili

2 bone-in chicken breasts, skin-on

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled seeded and chopped

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed

2 quarts chicken stock (if you have some homemade, even better!)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Sour cream, thinly sliced green onions and shredded cheese of choice for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a sheet pan, arrange the chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt on both sides. Roast chicken for 30-45 minutes, depending on size of chicken breasts.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and sweet potato and stir well. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Add the white beans, followed by the chicken stock. Cover and simmer over low heat while you wait for the chicken to finish roasting.

When the chicken is finished, pull the skin off the breast, using tongs or a fork. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Discard the skin, bones and fat. Add chicken to the soup.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes and vinegar and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream, green onions and shredded cheese.

Heather Christo’s “Generous Table”

This story was originally published October 26, 2021 at 12:57 PM.