Turkey Chili

This is a healthy and hearty one-pot meal that is perfect comfort food for a cold or rainy day. I chose to make chili today because I didn't feel like going to the supermarket. I just pulled out some ground turkey from the freezer and a few cans from the pantry. Chili is great because it uses things that you might normally have sitting around in your pantry, like canned beans and tomatoes, and you can use almost any type of meat that you happen to have on hand. Another great thing about it is that the leftovers taste even better the next day!

Ingredients:
     1 pound ground turkey
     1 can kidney beans, washed and drained
     1 can black beans, washed and drained
     1 28 oz can of plum tomatoes, crushed
     1 tablespoon of tomato paste
     1 medium onion, chopped
     1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
     2 cloves of garlic, chopped
     3 tablespoons of olive oil
     Chili Seasoning: 3 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 2 tsp paprika
     1/2 tsp chipotle chili pepper or cayenne pepper, optional
     1 tsp dried oregano
     2 cups of chicken stock
     salt to taste

In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp oil and add the onion and garlic. Fry over high heat for a bit, and add the meat. Fry until the meat has browned, and then remove the meat from the pan. Add 2 tbsp of oil back into the pan, and add the bell pepper. Once the pepper is tender, add the tomato paste, oregano, and chili seasonings (and cayenne pepper, if desired). Fry together for about 2 or 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mixture starts to stick. Add the crushed tomatoes and the cooked meat. Cook together for about 6 minutes.

Frying the onion and garlic

Chili seasoning

Browning the meat

After the tomatoes are added

Then add the chicken stock, beans, and corn, and stir. Lower the heat to a point that just allows the chili to simmer, and then cover. Cook until thickened, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt, and add chicken stock or boiling water if the chili has become too thick. (Note: Cooking it low and slow allows the flavors to mingle and mix and creates depth to the flavor of the chili...the longer you cook it, the better it will taste!)

Serve with cornbread, shredded cheddar, tortilla chips, or enjoy on its own!