Pumpkin BBQ Sauce

My husband is amazing at making sauces on the fly. Fries?  Got a sauce for that.  Reuben?  Homemade Russian dressing coming right up.  We never have to worry about running out of honey mustard at this house...good thing because we have to have our chicken tenders. 

You get the point.

He makes his own BBQ sauces.  This one was something he came up with out of nowhere and it just has to be shared.  It has a lot of ingredients, but it doesn't take long to put it together.  You do have to cook it for a couple of hours, but it is well worth it.  Besides, who needs a bottle of 97 ingredients, most of which are unrecognizable.  It's pretty awesome to be able to say, "I make my own sauce".  And it makes great Christmas gifts!

Pumpkin BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup [I like organic for the depth of flavor and lack of crap]
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp apple cider
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp BBQ rub of your choice [keep reading to see Justin's rub]

Directions:
In a medium sized saucepot, whisk everything together.  Bring it up to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 2 hours.  Be sure and take time to stir it every 20 minutes or so.  You'll end up with about 3 cups of sauce, which is A LOT.  We like to pack it up in mason jars and tie it with a cute ribbon. 

Justin's BBQ Rub
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp onion powder
4 Tbsp ancho chili powder
4 Tbsp black pepper

Directions:
Stir it all together and keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.  This makes about 2 cups and goes great as a sidekick to the sauce in a nice gift basket.