It's Pumpkin Season!

It's that time of year again...my favorite time of year.  When the weather changes slightly (and I mean slightly) in Miami.  The mornings feel crisper and leaves start turning into deep shades of red, orange, yellow, and then brown...well, at least in some parts of the world not too far from here.  There is definitely something special about it; it's cozy, inviting and most welcoming, especially for some of our favorite comfort foods.

Pumpkin is one of those foods for me: pumpkin bread, pie, cake, doughnuts, soup, and even pumpkin filled pasta...yummy! So please bear with me through the next several posts since many of them will have some form of...wait for it, wait for it - pumpkin!

For my first recipe of the season I decided to make Pumpkin Cheese Dip.  It's very simple to make and really delicious. The taste is different from traditional dips; it's cheesy, spicy, and somewhat sweet at the same time. You can adjust the heat to your liking. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Lipton Nacho cheese soup

1 cup solid-pack pumpkin

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder (depending on how spicy you like it, add to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions and bell pepper; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in soup, pumpkin, half-and-half, 1 t chipotle pepper powder and salt; cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Taste and add additional chipotle pepper powder, to taste.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.