Taking a Breather & a Recipe for Slow-Cooked Turkey Chili

With the insanity of the holidays over, and a pile of resolutions in place, I’m sure we can all agree it’s time for a bit of a breather. No more entertaining; no more meals for fifteen; and, for goodness sake, no more roasting turkeys.

Not for a while, at least.

I’m not letting the turkey off the hook, however. Extra-lean ground turkey meat, in particular, is way too versatile, healthy, and … well, delicious to give up on now.

Use it in place of ground beef or pork in almost any recipe — especially ones that involve sauce or a lot of spices and herbs — as the flavours of turkey and the other meats are relatively interchangeable. That’s certainly the case in this Slow-Cooked Turkey Chili; you have the heartiness from the turkey, but the rich flavour from the spices and vegetables is really the star. Just combine the ingredients, turn on your slow cooker and get on with your day.

Slow-Cooked Turkey Chili
Serves 4–6

Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 (796 ml) can diced tomatoes
1 (540 ml) can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 (540 ml) can white kidney beans, rinsed
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup firmly packed fresh baby spinach, torn
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sour cream, salsa, chopped green onions, and shredded cheese of your choice, to serve (optional)

Instructions:
1. Cook the ground turkey in a medium frying pan until browned and cooked through; transfer to the slow cooker.

2. Combine the next 12 ingredients (tomato paste through vinegar) with the turkey in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. When done, stir the chili, add salt and pepper if necessary, and spoon into serving bowls. Top with sour cream, salsa, green onions, and cheese.