logo
cuppacocoa
May 27, 2014

Terrific Turkey Chili RecipeOh happy day, my new food processor arrived this weekend! I was SUPER eager to test out the blades, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than to slice and dice a few bell peppers, onions, and zucchini for my husband’s favorite chili!

Yes, yes, it’s summer… and at 85ºF, it’s not exactly chili weather. It’s allllll good. A little sunshine never stopped us from enjoying foods we like, no matter how warm or unconventional! I love this recipe because it’s like a whole meal in one dish– meat, veggies, dairy, and carbs (errr do tortilla chips count as carbs? =P). I appreciate that this chili is packed full of healthy veggies but tastes so comfortingly delicious! Be sure to use the taco seasoning with the turkey. You won’t even miss the beef.

It’s true, there are a load of ingredients. There are actually even more in the original recipe (see below), but I’ve pared it down to the essentials in my version. You go down most of the food-related aisle to get the ingredients for this, including the dairy, meat, produce, canned goods, and snack aisles. That’s why I usually double the recipe– to make it worth the trouble at the grocery store. I freeze the extras in mason jars for those crazy weeks when we’re sick of eating out but still don’t have the time or energy to cook. This chili is loaded with veggies and makes me feel like I am still providing yummy and nourishing food for my family even when we’re super busy.

Once you have all the ingredients, it’s pretty straightforward to make. Most of the work is cutting up and sauteing vegetables, and then it’s just a matter of dumping everything into a pot to simmer. I’ve got the whole thing down to 45-minutes now, from start to table, which isn’t bad, considering we get about four meals out of it between the two of us (after doubling the recipe). We usually eat it fresh the day we make it, have another meal of it a couple days later, and save two more meals in the freezer for the crazy weeks down the road.

Every time I make this chili, I know it will mean that we are going to be smiling at each other at the table that night, sharing a bag of tortilla chips and saying, “Mmm!” each time. That’s just how we eat it. Whether it’s hot or chilly, I hope you try this chili!

———————–

Terrific Turkey Chili
adapted from this recipe
makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

Toppings

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring to break apart as much as possible. Season with taco seasoning mix and other optional seasonings (coriander, oregano, chili flakes). Mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.
  2. Pour in beef broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add salsa, tomatoes, beans and tomato paste and continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding beef broth (or water).
  4. While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and saute the onion and green bell pepper, stirring occasionally for five minutes, or until onion is translucent and bell pepper is lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper to chili pot, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.
  5. In the same skillet, saute the zucchini in the same way as the bell peppers, then add to the chili pot. Reduce heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes more. Again, adjust consistency with beef broth or water) as needed.
  6. Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream, and green onion.

I hope that chili-t this soon! (…get it?? =D)

⇠

Comments are closed.