Gluten Free Pumpkin Chili Mac

A Guest Recipe from Gluten Free Kid's Club

Hello Dear Friends,

Today the wonderful Anne from

Gluten Free Kids Club

has brought us a wonderful kid friendly family meal. As a fellow celiac mom, I really appreciate all her newsletter does to connect celiac children and families, share gluten free recipes kids will love, and form community.

I’m so thrilled that she’s sharing this fun seasonal twist on a popular family dinner. As soon as she sent it over I made it, with some Barilla Gluten Free Elbows - it was a hit! I know you guys will love this one as I’m ALWAYS getting requests for things made in slow cookers and instant pots! (Although, I made it on the stovetop!)

Now, I’ll let Anne tell us about her recipe:

As we dive deeper into fall and with Halloween just around the corner, it's the perfect time to embrace pumpkin in our cooking! I’ve been eager to create a GF, family-friendly Chili Mac—hearty, comforting, and ideal for the season. Inspired by The Kitchn’s Chili Mac recipe, I made several adjustments to not only make it gluten-free but also to highlight the rich pumpkin flavor. I prepared this dish in the Instant Pot using both the sauté and slow cook functions, but you can easily use a traditional slow cooker or a large pot on the stovetop too!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chili Mac

2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 pound ground chicken (the original recipe called for beef, but you do you! If you’re vegetarian, add a can of black beans)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes (use the whole 14 oz can if you are doubling the recipe)
1 cup pumpkin puree (use the whole 14 oz can if you are doubling the recipe)
1 14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 cup dry GF elbow macaroni or cavatappi, cooked
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
4 medium scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Set a larger slow cooker to low (or put on sauté setting if using an instant pot). Whether you do this on the stove top or in the IP insert, go ahead and heat up the 2 T olive oil. Add the ½ diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Then add in 1 lbs. ground chicken and cook until no pink is left, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking up large pieces. If you omit the meat, add in the spices (2 T chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pumpkin spice, and a pinch or two of ground pepper) and the beans at this point.

At this point, transfer your sauteed mixture into the slow cooker, or switch the IP setting from sauté to slow cook. Add 1 cup diced tomatoes (with their juices), 1 cup pureed pumpkin, 1 can drained and rinsed kidney beans (if you have not already added them), 1 6 oz can tomato paste, and 1 ½ cup chicken broth and stir to combine. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 7 to 8 hours or the HIGH setting for 3 to 4 hours. For IP, the setting is simply ‘Slow Cook,’ and I did 4-6 hours.

Meanwhile, boil some water with a pinch of salt. Once boiling, add 1 cup dry GF elbow pasta (or other small pasta shape), cook according to package instructions, then drain. Stir the cooked pasta and ¾ cup cheddar and ¾ cup Monterey Jack cheeses into the chili. After the pasta and cheese have been fully incorporated, top with the remaining cheese, cover, and set to LOW for 15 minutes. Spoon into bowls, top with scallions if using, and a little sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice! Enjoy!

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