The arrival of fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The air is crisp, the leaves are turning and football and soccer come into full swing, bringing with it the joys of watching my oldest son and my daughter compete in their given sports. Along with fall sports is fall holidays, which means Halloween is just around the corner. My youngest son loves Halloween and spends time everyday discussing what he wants to be, coming up with some of the funniest remarks. For those of you who know him you can only imagine the stuff he says when discussing Halloween costumes! Another favorite thing about Fall is PUMPKIN! I love everything pumpkin. The problem is, it is usually in the form of a baked good. But don’t lose hope! I am going to share with you a healthy pumpkin dinner recipe and a “TREAT” recipe of Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake.
Alivia posing in her soccer gear 
Matt running the football 
Nick trick-or-treating as Black Panther
Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Lean ground beef
- 1 lbs. Ground sausage I use spicy Italian
- ½ onion diced I use a sweet onion
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- ½ jalapeno diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1- 7 oz canned diced green chiles drained
- 1- 14.5 oz Hunt’s canned petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 22 oz Hunt’s canned tomato sauce
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 15 oz water
- 1 TBS chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Dash ground cloves
- Dash of all spice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place ground beef and ground sausage in a heavy-duty large stock pot, salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low to medium heat. When all the way cooked through, drain the fat. Add diced onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, jalapeno, and celery to the meat. Cook for 4-5 minutes on low to medium heat. Add canned green chiles (don’t forget to drain). Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, pumpkin puree, and water. Stir in chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, ground cloves, all spice, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook stirring occasionally for about an hour. This allows all the flavors to cook together. Prep all your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake
This cake is amazing, especially if you have not had a treat or splurge in a while! I frost it with a thin layer of a simple buttercream. My daughter has a Fall birthday and requests it almost every year. I make it in a decorated cake or cupcakes for her on the years I have time to do so.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup melted butter I use salted
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp of Vanilla
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 2 cups of Namaste Perfect Flour Blend gluten free
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp xanthan gum I use Bob’s Red Mill
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Simple Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup softened butter I use salted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 TBS of Heavy cream add more if frosting is dry
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- dash of nutmeg and cinnamon *optional
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 cake pan. In a large mixing bowl combine melted butter and sugar. Stir in 4 eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until all combined. DO NOT over mix. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost with Simple Spiced Buttercream Frosting. If you like more frosting double the recipe.
Frosting
- Place all ingredients in an electric mixer, like a Kitchen Aid. With the paddle attachment beat on medium speed until well combined and fluffy. If dry add more heavy cream 1 tsp at a time.
