Hearty Turkey Chili

I know I say this every time I get around to finally posting on here but I'm back...I swear. It's been such a hectic December already and we're only a week in. I feel like my entire December is already packed full of plans thanks to cookie swaps, work potlucks, gift making, and Christmas shopping. Before I know it, it'll be Christmas Eve then Christmas Day then 2015. By then I'll have aged 20 more years thanks to all the cooking, baking, gift wrapping, errand running and anything else I can think of except for relaxing and sleeping.

Let me just take a moment to point out that it's soup season. While perusing my favorite TJMaxx, I stumbled upon this little gem: Soup of the Day Cookbook. You read that right, soup of the day, aka 365 soup recipes for every, single, day of the year. Nothing quite beats a warm bowl of soup during the winter months, which in our case here in Wisconsin, lasts from October to March.

Adam wasn't feeling the greatest this weekend so I decided to whip up a big batch of turkey chili to make him feel better. Let's just say, we were more than pleasantly surprised at just how amazing it turned out. Thankfully I made a big enough batch to feed us for dinner tonight and me for dinner at work for the next week...yes, the entire week.

Yield: 8 generous servings

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 lbs. 93% lean ground turkey
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 - 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes, no salt added
• 2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 - 4 oz can diced green chiles
• Chili toppings: reduced fat cheddar cheese, light sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, green onions, crackers, etc. 

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and add white onions. Saute until slightly transparent (I usually throw the onions in and let them cook until I'm done dicing the red and green peppers). Add the peppers and saute another 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. 

While the turkey cooks, add the stewed tomatoes to a food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely chopped (or in my case, nearly pureed) . Once the turkey has browned, add the chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chiles. Stir until mixed through. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with your favorite chili toppings.

* If you like beans in your chili, you can sub one pound of meat for two cans of your favorite beans