Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

I've had my house decorated for Christmas since the first week in November.  If you think I'm crazy, that's okay - so do my friends and family.  I've just been so excited to spend our first Christmas in our new house!  I did exercise some restraint by not plugging in my outdoor lights until after Thanksgiving.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can finally let my inner Christmas freak out!  It's been amazing experiencing all of these "firsts" in our new home.  We have so much to be thankful for.  

After our Thanksgiving feast, we had a good amount of leftover turkey.  While I do enjoy a cold turkey sandwich, I'm always excited to come up with new ways to use it.  After cleaning out our gutters (one of the not-so-fun "firsts") yesterday in the cold, I found myself craving a hot bowl of chili.  I decided to use the turkey in the chili and add some pumpkin and sage.  It was so good!  The pumpkin and sage added a delicious depth of flavor.

Ingredients:
Yields 6 -8 servings

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 c onion, diced 
• 2 celery ribs, diced 
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced 
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced 
• 28 oz tomato sauce
• 1 medium tomato, chopped 
• 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 2 tbsp chili powder 
• 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely minced 
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 c turkey or chicken broth 
• 2 c pumpkin puree 
• 1 can kidney beans, undrained 
• 1 can chili beans, undrained 
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 
• 1/4 tsp pepper, to taste 
• 4 c cooked turkey, chopped 

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and jalapeno pepper to the pot.  Cook until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute longer.  Pour the remaining ingredients in the pot, and stir well to combine.

Once the chili comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low.  Simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Enjoy!