Packed with protein and fiber, this flavorful chili will fill you up with good-for-you ingredients!
Pumpkin may have a treasured spot on the dessert table and in your favorite muffin recipe or coffee beverage, but it also has a place on the dinner table. This vibrant orange squash adds rich creaminess to this chili and a punch of nutrition.
Years ago, my family would rent a timeshare every year in the North Carolina mountains and all of my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandma would vacation together for a week of hiking, a little skiing, good food, movies, and board games… some good ole’ family fun! Each family would take turns cooking dinner for the huge group. Although I was only a tween, I loved helping cook and prepare the big meal when it was my family’s turn. One year, we made a white chicken chili recipe that we got from a friend and everyone raved about it!
About 2 decades later, I don’t have that family friend’s recipe, but I decided to create my own and load it up with flavor! This chili cooks in the slow cooker which also makes it very easy to put together and allows you to forget about it until it’s dinner time.
This Slow Cooker Chicken, White Bean & Pumpkin Chili is gluten-free and could be made vegan by replacing the chicken with an additional can of beans and the chicken broth with vegetable broth. There are several ways to make this chili fit your dietary and taste preferences. If you love the flavor of diced green chilis, grab the 7oz can (instead of 4oz) at the grocery store.
If you want to lower the carbs a bit, you can eliminate 1 can of beans and replace it with more chicken. Of course, the toppings you serve can amp up the flavor and nutrition even more. And let’s face it, adding a variety of toppings is just plain fun!
This recipe works great if you want to double it, but don’t triple it like I did or you might find all of the ingredients won’t fit in your slow cooker. And then you will have to cook some of it on the stove top and the rest in your slow cooker- Ugh! I learned this lesson the hard way so you don’t have to!
(The rest of the ingredients wouldn’t fit when I tried to triple the recipe- lesson learned.)
While my 3 year-old isn’t always fond of soup or stew recipes that have lots of ingredients all mixed together, this is 1 recipe she really enjoys! Of course, she especially likes it when she gets to crumble a few tortilla chips in her chili and place a big dollop of greek yogurt on top! My 11-month old devoured it too!
And, if you want more kid-friendly recipes, this Creamy Pumpkin Pie Dip is great for after school snack or a bedtime treat. It is low in sugar and is so easy that your kids can whip it up. I know this first hand because we have made it at my Mommy & Me Preschool Cooking Classes.
Whether you are looking for a new slow cooker recipe OR some time-saving recipes OR a freezable recipe, this Slow Cooker Chicken, White Bean & Pumpkin Chili hits all the marks! I like to serve it with a quick green salad or some veggie sticks and dip- nice and simple!
Slow Cooker Chicken, White Bean & Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts about 1-1 ¼ pounds
- ½ large sweet onion chopped (or 1 whole small onion, chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree’
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp oregano
- 4 tsp cumin
- 2 ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 oz can diced green chilis
- 2 15oz cans great northern beans drained/rinsed
- 1 15oz can black beans drained/rinsed
Optional Toppings
- cilantro chopped
- low-fat plain yogurt or sour cream
- avocado diced
- cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pan, saute onion in oil until translucent and slightly brown on edges. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder to the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic mixture to slow cooker along with chicken breasts, chicken broth, salt, pepper, oregano, green chilis, pumpkin, and beans.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. Before serving, remove the chicken and chop into bite-size pieces and return to the chili OR roughly shred with 2 forks in the slow cooker. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!
Notes
- Add a 7oz can of diced green chilis if you love the flavor
- Reduce the carbs by eliminating 1 can of beans; replace with chicken, if desired.
Having some go-to slow cooker recipes is 1 of the tricks I use to make weeknight meals less stressful. Whether it is this Slow Cooker Chicken, White Beans & Pumpkin Chili, OR Hearty Beef & Bean Pumpkin Chili OR Thai Chicken with Almond Butter Sauce, our family relies on this machine to make life a little easier and very tasty!
Cheers to easy meals and yummy comfort food!
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