Meatball Chili with Pumpkin recipe

Meatball chili with pumpkin
This is really tasty and creamy with a bit of back-heat from the chipotle. The pumpkin is a mild flavor and you wouldn't necessarily be able to identify it if you didn't know it was there. You could substitute canned beans and eliminate the beef broth, or maybe reduce it to 1 cup.

Ingredients:
about 1/2 lb. small meatballs, whatever recipe you like
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 chopped red bell peppers
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 c. dry black beans, soaked overnight
4 cups beef broth
3-5 diced medium tomatoes and their juices
1 lb. roasted pumpkin or canned pumpkin (just pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
4-6 oz. diced Green Chiles
1 cup whole kernel corn
1-2 chipotles in adobo, diced fine (this is spicy but has a wonderful smoky flavor. We're wussy and use 1 chipotle and 1 t. adobo, but if you like it spicier, add more.)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
(I added a few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg.)

Directions:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Put the vegetable mixture into the crockpot and add all the other ingredients. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours.