I hate to admit it, but Zach and I are huge chili snobs. We’ve experimented with hundreds – I’m not exaggerating – different chili recipes over the years that we’ve been together. While some were better than others, we’ve never come up with the perfect chili until our taste buds tasted this. Our quest for the perfect chili is officially over. We’ve discovered it and we’re sharing our masterpiece with you! I can’t take all the credit for this one – Zach is the man when it comes to putting spices together and this is his special spice blend. It’s amazing, if I don’t say so myself! This recipe is probably one of the easiest chili recipes we’ve ever made, which makes it that much more awesome. The aroma that will fill your house while this chili is cooking is incredible.

 Now that Halloween is over, I found all these little pumpkins and squash so inexpensively at my organic produce stand. I thought they were darling and knew they would make such a fun bowl for our chili. Plus when you make these roasted pumpkin/squash bowls, you get the extra deliciousness of the roasted pumpkin and squash in every bite of the chili. And don’t forget to save those seeds for my roasted pumpkin seed recipe!

Impress your guests with these festive pumpkin and squash chili bowls!

 On a side note, this chili does not contain beans. If you’d like to learn why I tend to avoid beans, see the note below.

Our quest for the perfect chili is officially over!

Crockpot Paleo Pork and Pumpkin Chili

 10-12 or more servings

Ingredients:

3 lbs pork roast

2 onions, diced

2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

7 oz can diced green chilies

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (you can find these in the International aisle of your supermarket, usually next to the cans of diced green chilies)

1 heaping T adobo sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup cilantro

2 cups free-range chicken stock

salt and pepper

¼ cup chili powder

2 T cumin

1 T smoked paprika

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cocoa powder

2 cups roasted pumpkin or squash or you can use 1 can of pumpkin

1 bunch kale or mustard greens, roughly chopped

Optional Toppings: avocado, additional cilantro, a sprinkling of chipotle chili powder, sour cream and cheese, if you eat dairy

 DIRECTIONS:

 Place your pork in the crockpot and season with salt and pepper. Add the onions, fire roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, green chilies, garlic and spices. Add your chicken stock and then toss in your cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. An hour before it’s done, take out the pork and shred it with 2 forks. Put the pork back into the crockpot. Now pour your roasted pumpkin/squash in the crockpot and give it a good stir. Add the kale or mustard greens and give it a final stir. Cook for an hour.

Serve with avocado, extra cilantro, a sprinkle of chipotle chili powder and sour cream and cheese, if you wish. Enjoy!

 *The spiciness of this recipe is perfect to me – it’s not too spicy, but it does give a smoky and slightly spicy heat. If you like a spicier chili, add in another chipotle pepper or add in some additional chipotle chili powder.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN/SQUASH BOWLS: Place your pumpkins and/or squash in a baking pan with a raised edge. Fill the pan with about a ½ inch of water. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until done. Let cool. Cut tops off of pumpkin/squash and remove seeds and stringy flesh. Use as a bowl.

 Why I don’t include beans in my chili and why I try to avoid beans:

Despite what you have heard, beans are not a nutritional powerhouse, as toted by the media. I hear it a lot, “But beans are a great source of protein!” While beans do contain some protein, it is a minimal amount (only about 4 grams per ½ cup) and the carbohydrate content of beans is enough to make my blood sugar go high. A measly ½ cup serving of beans has close to 30 grams of carbs! I prefer to get my protein from better sources like meat and get my carbohydrates from more nutrient dense foods like vegetables and some fruit. Beans also contain a high amount of toxins in their raw state, which is the main reason why I tend to avoid them. Here is a good article if you want to learn more about beans.

If you love beans and love them in your chili, go for it, but I just wanted to share why I don’t include them in mine.

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