2014′s Week #5 Winner: Six Pack Pumpkin Chili

By Brian Sprouse from West Chicago, IL

Ingredients:
3 28oz cans of pumpkin
4 15oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
4 lbs sausage (2lbs Italian casing removed , 2 lbs med or hot pork breakfast sausage)
6 pack of pumpkin beer
2 large Spanish onions diced
4 bell peppers (2 orange, 2 yellow) diced
1 lb carrots peeled and diced
8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp. each of cayenne pepper, salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika
1 tbsp. each of: garlic powder, nutmeg, ground pepper, cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar
Garnish: Grilled Corn sour cream (recipe to follow), green onion, freshly grated nutmeg and freshly grated asiago cheese.

Directions:
1. The day before the game, in a 16 qt. stock pot, brown all of the sausage on high heat.
2. Remove sausage, leave any of the drippings, still on high heat, add the onion, apples and carrots. Coat in all of the sausage juices.
3. Sweat the onions by adding a bit of salt. Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook on high until everything is a little brown and soft.
4. Deglaze pot with 2 bottles of your favorite pumpkin beer.
5. Dump back in the sausage, then add the beans, tomatoes, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika and ground pepper. Mix well.
6. Reduce the heat to low, and add in the 3 cans of pumpkin, and 2 more bottles of the pumpkin beer, and save the diced peppers for last, for a little texture.
7. Let simmer for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight to let the flavors come together.
8. Game day: Add the 2 final bottles of beer to loosen up as needed, reheat. Scoop in some chili, then garnish with corn sour cream and green onion. Grate some fresh nutmeg and asiago on top and get ready for a Bears win!

Grilled Corn Sour cream
8oz sour cream
2 ears corn, roasted or grilled until charred, let cool, then de-kernel
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. smoked paprika

Combine all ingredients and chill!