🍂🌻 Chili Champions & Backyard Cooks 🌻🍂🍁 Chuckwagon Fall Recipe of the Day — Thursday, September 3, 2026

🥩 Cowboy Pumpkin Chili with Maple Cheddar Cornbread 🌶️🍁

Good morning, folks! 🤠🍂

Today we're putting a fall spin on a chuckwagon favorite—CHILI! 🌶️

Before anybody runs away because they see pumpkin in the name, hear me out! 😄 The pumpkin makes this chili thick, rich, and creamy without giving it a pumpkin-pie flavor. Add smoky beef, sausage, bacon, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and plenty of spices, and you've got one hearty pot of Cowboy Pumpkin Chili.

And because chili needs cornbread, we're serving it with warm Maple Cheddar Cornbread! ❤️

🌶️ Cowboy Pumpkin Chili Ingredients

• 1½ lbs ground beef

• ½ lb smoked sausage, diced

• 6 slices bacon, chopped

• 1 large sweet onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 can (15 oz) 100% pumpkin purée — not pumpkin pie filling

• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes

• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

• 1½ cups beef broth

• 3 tablespoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Cayenne or diced jalapeño, optional for extra heat

🔥 Let's Get Cooking!

1️⃣ Fry the bacon.Cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven until crispy. Remove it and set it aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pot.

2️⃣ Brown the meat.Add the ground beef and smoked sausage. Cook until the beef is browned, then drain excess grease if needed.

3️⃣ Add those vegetables.Stir in the onion and bell peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute.

4️⃣ Season that pot! 🌶️Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds to wake up those spices.

5️⃣ Bring on the pumpkin. Stir in the pumpkin, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and optional brown sugar.

6️⃣ Let it simmer.Bring the chili to a gentle bubble, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The longer it gently simmers, the richer that flavor becomes!

7️⃣ Finish it off.Stir half of the crispy bacon into the chili just before serving.

Load each bowl with the remaining bacon and your favorite toppings.

🧀 Load Up Those Chili Bowls

Try:

🧀 Sharp cheddar🥓 Crispy bacon🥄 Sour cream🧅 Green onions🌶️ Jalapeños🥑 Avocado🌽 Crumbled cornbread

🍁 Maple Cheddar Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 large eggs

• ¼ cup melted butter

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.

Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and maple syrup in another.

Gently combine the wet and dry mixtures, then fold in the cheddar.

Pour into a greased cast-iron skillet and bake at 400°F for about 20–25 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Brush the warm cornbread with a little melted butter. 🧈

🏆 MawMaw's Chili Cook-Off Secret

Want chili that tastes like it simmered over the campfire all day?

🔥 Bloom your spices!

Instead of immediately pouring in the liquids, stir the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika into the browned meat for about 30 seconds first.

That little step helps deepen their flavor.

And if you have time, make your chili the night before. Chili is one of those wonderful dishes that often tastes even better the next day!

🍽️ Serve It Up With

🌽 Maple cheddar cornbread🥗 Harvest garden salad🥔 Crispy roasted potatoes🥒 Pickled vegetables🍎 Cold apple cider or sweet tea

🍂 And for dessert?

🍎 Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp

Warm apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, buttery oat topping, caramel drizzle, and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! 🍨

💜 Chuckwagon Encouragement

There's something about a pot of chili simmering on the stove that makes a house feel a little more like home.

Maybe that's because the best things in life often aren't rushed.

A good chili needs time.

Relationships need time.

Dreams need time.

And sometimes the things we're praying about need time too.

If God hasn't answered something according to your timetable, don't assume He's forgotten you.

Keep trusting. Keep praying. Keep moving forward.

God knows exactly what He's doing—even while we're waiting. ❤️

📖 Scripture for Today

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

— Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

🌶️ Thursday Chili Question

What ingredient MUST be in your perfect bowl of chili?

🫘 Beans🥩 Lots of beef🌶️ Plenty of heat🍅 Tomatoes🧀 Cheese on top🥓 Bacon🌽 Cornbread on the side

👇 And here's the BIG question: BEANS or NO BEANS? 😄

Share your answer—and if you've got a prize-winning chili recipe, we'd love for you to share your cook-off secrets with our cooking family!

🍂🤠 Happy Thursday, Friends!

May your chili pot stay full, your cornbread stay warm, and your table always have room for one more.

Faith ⭐ Family ⭐ Friends ⭐ Food ⭐ Memories ❤️🌻🍁