The Best Winter Comfort Food: Turkey Chili

Weeknights in my home are super busy. My husband and I both work in the city and our children have many extra curricular activities. There is usually a lot of running around after school and work leaving little time to cook a square meal every night. It's during these times when we order take out or, if I have all the ingredients I can pull together my favorite turkey chili!

One of the many things I love about turkey chili is that you can throw in lots of veggies to boost the nutrition of this comfort food! I typically look through the refrigerator to see what I can dump in that won't take away from the flavor or texture of the chili, but could also add in nutrition. Things like carrots, chickpeas, zucchini and even kale, can all be chopped and thrown into your turkey chili.

The other thing I love is that there's only ONE POT that has to be washed afterwards! Now for us working moms, this is a WIN!

Here's my favorite way to make turkey chili (this served my family of 4 and allowed for left overs)

Ingredients

1lb if ground turkey (I typically use turkey breast)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion rough cut

3 celery stalks chopped

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 bell pepper chopped

4 cups of chicken broth

1 15oz can of diced tomatoes with chilis (undrained)

1 15oz can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup of tomato paste

1 15oz can of pinto beans (drained)

1 15oz can of black beans (drained)

1 15oz can of navy or cannellini beans (drained)

Seasonings

2 tbsp Chili powder

1 tbsp Paprika

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tbsp Onion powder

1 tbsp Cumin

1 tsp Oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings (optional)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Cilantro

Sour cream

Scallion

Jalapeño

• First, get all of your ingredients ready and chop your vegetables. Or if you're like me, buy them precut from the grocery store!

• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until onions are softened.

• Add the ground turkey and stir until the turkey meat is crumbled. Cook until the turkey meat begins to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Once the turkey begins to brown add in your celery and bell peppers and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

• Next, add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and tomato paste. Stir until combined.

• Add the chicken broth broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and beans. This is also where you'll add any extra veggies (carrots, kale, chickpeas, etc). Scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to get any extra bits and pieces.

• Cover and bring the chili to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, uncover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir very often so the chili doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. If it gets too thick add more chicken broth to reach your desired consistency.

• Serve hot with your favorite toppings, enjoy!

This my friends is a winner! And even better, the leftovers are usually more flavorful! Ha!

Enjoy!

XO,

Ayanna