Easy Turkey Chili

It is another snow day in Northwest Arkansas and that definitely calls for a big bowl of chili! I have to be honest, I never ate chili until I met my husband. It honestly looked and sounded absolutely gross and mom never made it growing up. Plus, when it came to chili, all I could think of was chili dogs and that just sounds messy and sloppy to me! Well, when there is a dish that reminds your husband of home, you just have to give it a shot. After several attempts, I have to say, I definitely think chili is now a must when it comes to cold winter nights!

This dish is a “healthier” version for me who tries to avoid red meat. I make it with ground turkey instead of beef and I think it is less heavy that way. If you are going for a vegan dish, just add extra beans and skip the chicken broth. It is just my husband and I but I still made the full recipe as there will be a few more days of snow in Northwest Arkansas. After that, it can easily freeze! Chili will stay good in the freezer for up to 6 months! Last year we had a crazy freeze in April so, I am sure we will eat chili again soon 😉

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 C water
• 1 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 box Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (or 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes of choice)
• 1 box Pomi Finely Chopped Tomatoes (or 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes of choice)
• 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
• 1-2 C fresh corn, from cob (or 1 can, drained)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• dash of cayenne

For Serving:

• Greek Yogurt
• Sprinkled Cheese
• Jalapeno Slices
• Chopped Parsley or Cilantro
• Cornbread

DIRECTIONS

1. In a dutch oven, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your onions and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until tender.
2. Add in your ground turkey and cook thoroughly.
3. Add remainder ingredients and mix well. Taste for salt.
4. Simmer for at least 3-4 hours. The longer the better in my opinion! 😉 See notes for crockpot instructions!

Notes

This can easily be done in a crockpot! Once your meat mixture is cooked, add to a crockpot with remainder ingredients and mix all together. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.

FOR VEGAN: add extra beans instead of turkey, and replace chicken broth for vegetable broth or extra water.

I have made this recipe with water only before and tasted just as good! I think the broth adds a little extra flavor but if you do not have any, no problem!