Paleo Pumpkin Chili

By Jessica Campbell, MS, FNTP

Every year we dry our pumpkin seeds from Halloween and every spring we sow them into the ground. My front yard is full of pumpkins in the fall, but not the big lantern pumpkins that make great Jack-o-lanterns. These are the sweet little sugar pies that last for months if stored in a cool dry place. We cut them in half, bake them for an hour, scoop out the flesh, and freeze it for recipes all winter long. It is now nearly spring time and we are still enjoying our pumpkin harvest from last fall.

A 14.5oz can of pumpkin will be just as delicious, if you have no time to roast a whole pumpkin.

If you happen upon a pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash, I recommend turning them into a hearty chili. The pumpkin replaces the beans, making this chili Paleo friendly, and it can be served over a cauliflower rice. We like to serve ours over white rice cooked in bone broth. We serve the chili over the rice mound like an erupting volcano, although there is honestly nothing volcanic about this chili, even my 5 year old can handle the heat.