With all the colors and flavors of fall, this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili with Pumpkin Shaped Biscuits is sure to warm your heart, delight your taste buds, and tickle your fancy.
This chili can be made with or without meat. Since my husband enjoys his chili with meat, I added browned bits of Italian sausage into the slow cooker along with all the other ingredients. However, by omitting the sausage and swapping vegetable broth for the beef broth, this chili becomes completely vegetarian. Talk about versatile!
One of my favorite grocery store convenience foods are the canned biscuits you find in the refrigerator section. You know the ones. The biscuits that, even though you know they’re going to “pop” open when you press your finger or spoon into the seam, somehow still seem to scare and surprise you each and every time.
Since I always seem to have some of these yummy canned biscuits in my fridge, I was inspired to play a little with my food and came up with something unexpected to surprise my husband. The result are these fun and tasty pumpkin shaped biscuits. Since they’re super easy to prepare, why not delighting your friends and family this year at the Thanksgiving dinner table? I guarantee you’ll be the “hostess with the mostess!”
Here’s a short little video I made so you can see just how easy these pumpkin shape biscuits are to make. Enjoy!
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Making the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili is super easy too. Let’s get started:
Brown and break up 1 pound of Italian sausage in a large skillet over high heat. Meanwhile add 2 pounds of cubed and seeded butternut squash, and 1 chopped medium yellow onion to a 4 quart slow cooker. Add the browned sausage to the cooker.
Add 1 can of drained and rinsed light kidney beans, and 2 cans of drained and rinsed dark kidney beans along with one can of 100% pumpkin puree. Add one cup of beef broth, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon allspice, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, and 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika.
Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and stir to combine. Cover the cooker and set on low for 6 hours. Uncover, stir and and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir again to combine and serve along with the pumpkin shaped biscuits (if desired), and a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream (not shown).
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how my husband was going to enjoy this chili because it breaks with his traditional view of chili, AND he’s not a huge fan of butternut squash. But, I’m happy to report that he gave this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili a full and enthusiastic “two thumbs up,” and even raved about it again the days he took the leftovers for lunch to work.
What helps to add depth of flavor and complexity to this chili is the blend of spices (i.e. allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and smoked paprika). They may seem unusual for a chili recipe, and they probably are, but each one aids in making this a unique and delicious chili recipe that I’ll bet you’ll make time and again during the fall and winter months.
- See video at www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com for making the Pumpkin Shape Biscuits
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage browned
- 2 pounds butternut squash that has been seeded and cut into 2" cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 can 15.5 ounces light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cans 15.5 ounces dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can 15.5 ounces 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Greek yogurt or sour cream for serving if desired
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Brown the sausage in a large skillet, breaking into small pieces as it browns.
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In a 4 quart slow cooker, add all the ingredients (except the butter and Greek yogurt), and stir well.
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Cover and set the cooker on low for 6 hours.
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Uncover, add the butter and stir well.
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Serve in bowls with Greek yogurt or sour cream as garnish (if desired).
This recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the Italian sausage and substituting vegetable stock or broth for the beef broth.
As I like to do, I close out every one of my recipe posts with one of my hand painted items (fabrics and/or glassware items). Since this is one of my most popular apron designs, and since I’m a huge Julia fan, why not coordinate this recipe with Julia’s quote “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon, or not at all!” hand painted apron available for purchase HERE.
If there is ever anything I can paint for you, from glassware items to fabrics (aprons, tea towels, etc.), please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit my shops: Etsy and Wazala. Custom orders are always welcome and I will happily paint and design from any idea, photo or description you send my way. All of my hand painted fabrics are completely machine washable and dryable (no fabric softener please), and all of my hand painted glassware items are completely dishwasher safe, as well as being non-toxic.
Kudos Kitchen by Renée ~ Where food, art, and fun collide each and every day!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Love it! You are the queen of festive pastries!
HaHa! You are very sweet, Stephanie! Thank you!
This just screams FALL! I love it!
Thank you, Jessica!
What perfect fall chili! This sounds absolutely delightful, and I love the addition of butternut squash in it!
I adore butternut squash so making a chili with it as the star just seemed like the perfect idea to me. Glad you like it too!
OMG! Those biscuits are super cute. I need to try this.
Thank you! I hope you do try it!
Love slow cooker chili – it makes the house smell amazing!
Yes, it does! Especially when there’s Italian sausage and butternut squash involved!
That sounds delicious and I love those cute pumpkin shaped biscuits!
Thank you so much, Kimberly!
This chili looks divine! However, I think I could stare at those adorable biscuits all day!
HaHaHa! You stare, I’ll eat! Thanks for the comment 🙂
What a delicious way to use butternut squash!
I love butternut squash so it’s fun to find new ways to cook with it. Thanks, Des!
The chili looks great but all I can see is those biscuits! So cute and delicious looking. 🙂
I love the flavors in the chili – I can imagine the sausage and the butternut squash would be perfect together. And the biscuits are the perfect touch.
Such a flavorful recipe.
I bet the chili is amazing but those pumpkin biscuits are awesome!!!
LOL! Right? Thanks, Angie!
How cute are those biscuits!! And that chili! Love that that is was made in the slow cooker!
You just can’t beat comfort food that’s also easy to make! Thanks 🙂
I love the idea of adding butternut squash to chili! Perfect for fall.
Me too. I adore butternut squash so I try to use it as much as I can!
I NEED to make this chili! And the biscuits are seriously adorable. 🙂
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
Those biscuits are so cute! My kids will love helping me make them!
I agree Nellie. Depending on how old they are, they’d be great at doing the flattening.