Turkey and Chicken Chili

chiliNow that the weather is getting much cooler, I am looking forward to making my favorite cold-weather dishes and comfort foods. Turkey chili is high on that list, and I made a big batch last night.

I found this recipe from an old magazine a few years ago and I keep tweaking it every time I make it. That’s one of the best things I like about making chili at home, you can always switch up the ingredients to your liking – or to use whatever is available in your pantry and fridge, like I did for this batch.

I like really spicy foods so if you don’t or if you’re more sensitive to heat, you can always use sweet Italian chicken or turkey sausage. You can/should also cut back on the chili powder. If, however, you’re the type who like your chili supremely hot (as in clear-your-sinuses kind of hot), then of course you can add more spice – chili powder, red pepper flakes, jalapenos, even chopped chipotle peppers for some spicy smokiness, or a little bit of habanero peppers if you’re really brave.

ingredients

motley of ingredients

Ground Turkey and Chicken Sausage Chili

– 4 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 pack ground turkey, Italian style
– 1 pack hot Italian chicken sausages, casings removed
– 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or 2 tablespoons chopped garlic from a jar
– 1 can tomato paste
– 2 cans of tomatoes (I used 1 can crushed tomatoes with basil, and 1 can Italian plum tomatoes)
– 2 cans of beans (I used 1 can dark red kidney beans and 1 can cannellini beans)
– 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
– 1 tablespoon each of ground cumin, dried basil, dried oregano, and chili powder
– 1/2 cup of red wine (I used Chianti because I’ve been obsessed with it since I visited Tuscany)
– juice of half a lemon
– salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy-based casserole, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the crumbled sausage and cook for 3 minutes, stirring to break up the pieces even more.

Ad the ground turkey and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, basil, oregano, chili powder, and mustard. Pour in the half cup of wine (and if you’re like me, pour yourself a glass too. There’s always wine for the cook, right?) as well as the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. If you’re using plum tomatoes, you can have some fun by crushing it by hand. Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Add the kidney and cannellini beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 20-30 more minutes, until the chili thickens to your liking.

turkey chili

warm and hearty

Again, you can mix up this recipe any way you want to tailor it to your taste – you can add more garlic, use onions, use a combination of black and red kidney beans, you can even add some chopped zucchini to get some veggies in or some chopped cilantro for more flavor and color. You can serve it topped with chopped scallions,  jalapenos, cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, or however way you eat your chili.

bowl

I ate mine with a dollop of non-fat plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Chili is a very filling meal, easy to make, and easy to keep or freeze. I’ll probably be making other variations in the coming months, but for now, I’m happy with this turkey and chicken chili. If you try it, I hope you’ll like it too!

What’s your favorite kind of chili? Any go-to recipes?

   

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