Pumpkin Crisp and Taco Chili

Last night we had my sweet husband's small group/discipleship group over for supper! Four guys and three wives/girlfriends joined us in our home for a sweet evening of food and catching up. His guys are now fourth year medical students, so they're currently preparing to interview for their residency positions. It's an exciting time! So it called for some exciting recipes. :)

I had only planned to share the recipe for Pumpkin Crisp, because it is truly one of my husband's favorite "dessert" recipes. (Mind you, a "dessert" is any apres-dinner sweet that is not cake or pie...or cookies.) Also because it's fall, and it's pumpkin season! And, my sweet bloggy bud The Monkey's Mama is expecting her second little monkey-cutie-face, and has expressed a minor craving for pumpkin-themed foods and drinks. Oh, and...it's crazy delicious. Even people who don't like pumpkin pie enjoy this dessert.

I didn't take photos of the process, but I did manage to snap one photo of what was left of an ENTIRE 9x13" PAN after we got ahold of it at supper:


So are you ready? It's super simple.

For the filling you need:
~ 1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin (I like Libby's)
~ 1 large can evaporated milk
~ 1 c sugar
~ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
~ 3 eggs, beaten

Dump pumpkin into medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat in (I just use a wire whisk) eggs, sugar, and cinnamon. Gently whisk in the entire can of evaporated milk. Pour mixture into 9x13" baking pan that has been lined with either wax paper or parchment paper. (I prefer parchment.)

For the crust:
~ 1 box yellow cake mix
~ 1 c chopped pecans
~ 2 sticks margarine, melted

Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin puree, top with pecans. Then, I like to melt the margarine in a glass measuring cup with a pour-lip on it. Pour margarine (as evenly as possible) over the topping. Bake at 350*F for 40-50 minutes.

Cool in pan at room temperature for about an hour, then invert onto a tray to cool completely.

For the frosting:
~ 1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
~ 1.5 c powdered sugar
~ 3/4 c cool whip

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold in cool whip. Frost top and sides of pumpkin crisp. Serve cold, or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

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Okay, so I was only going to share the recipe for the pumpkin crisp, but when I posted a facebook status about taco chili, I had a few requests for recipes. I have NO photos, and this recipe could not be any easier. It's what I call a "dump recipe," and you'll see why in a second.

You can personalize this any kind of way you want. We often have it meatless, but I used ground beef last night. I'm just going to put what I did, and then you can play around with it to make it the way that you prefer.

Brown ground beef in the bottom of a large stockpot with chopped onion and bell pepper. Drain the fat. (Here's my little fat secret: every once in a while when I use a can of something, I wash it out and put it in the freezer. Then when I have grease to drain off of ground beef or pork, I spoon it into the can, and put it back in the freezer. Then when it's full, the grease is hard, and I can just throw it away. I save my bacon grease in the fridge...because I re-use it for frying eggs and homemade fried chicken.)

Anyway, if you don't want to use meat, just sautee some onions and peppers in a small bit of olive oil with desired spices. I like cumin, chili powder, red (cayenne) pepper, mesquite seasoning, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, coriander, and oregano. You can also add a bit of garlic, either minced or garlic powder.

Next, you're going to start adding your cans. We use black beans, white northern beans, small red kidney beans, large red kidney beans, canned corn, and canned tomatoes. I like to rinse my beans in a colander first, but it's not necessary. But you should drain off the liquid first. Just add the ingredients in whatever proportions you prefer; we really like black beans, tomatoes, and corn, so we use a ton of that.

Also, you can use canned "helpers" like Chili Beans, which are just pinto or small red beans in a chili sauce; Chili-Ready tomatoes; Mexican-style stewed tomatoes; Ro*tel; Mexi-corn; etc. These help to add a lot of flavor to the dish without using tons and tons of extra spices.

So you open up your cans and just DUMP them in the pot! :) Add 1 packet of dry Ranch salad dressing mix, and 1 or 2 packets of Taco seasoning mix. Add just enough water to cover everything (for a stew/chili), or more water for a soup-like consistency. Bring to a simmer, taste it, and add spices mentioned above as necessary.

We serve this topped with shredded cheese and sour cream, and munch tortilla chips along with it. Although corn muffins are a great addition to the meal as well! :)