Turkey Chili

Chili is really one of our cold weather food staples. We often make a big pot for dinner on the weekend & then eat leftovers for lunch the rest of the week.

The wonderful thing about chili is you really can play with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This one was made from some left over turkey meat we had in the freezer. We keep lots of different kinds of dried beans in our pantry & like to mix two together for color & taste (for this chili we used navy beans & Rancho Gordo Vaqueros, a favorite of ours for chili). We use our own canned tomatoes in this chili but love to use the Muir Glen Fired Roasted Tomatoes as well. Another favorite ingredient in our chili is beer, it just gives it that added something. This is another flavor you can really alter by using different types of beer from light to dark (We really like Sessions Black for making chili.).

Topping can be whatever you like but my favorite is just a dollop of plain non-fat yogurt. It has less calories that sour cream but adds the same creaminess & tang (it also helps me cool things down when Matt adds a little too much spice to the chili for me!).

Turkey Chili

1 c dried beans
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 small or 3 large jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 red bell peppers
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t chili powder
2 c cooked turkey or chicken meat, shredded or chopped
14 1/2 oz crushed tomatoes
12 oz beer (we used a pale ale)
1/4 c tomato paste
salt

Put the beans & 3 cups water in a large pot & bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover & let sit for one hour. Turn heat back on & bring to a simmer. Let simmer covered for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. You want the beans to be tender but not mushy.

In a large soup pot heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions & cooked until tender & translucent. Add jalapenos, peppers, cumin, oregano and chili powder. Cook while stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir in the turkey. Add the beer, tomatoes & beans. Cover, turn heat down to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 1/2 hour to let spices blend. (We let ours simmer for 3 hours.)

5 - 6 servings

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