Turkey Chili

I meant to post this one yesterday, but I couldn't move my arms! OK, well it wasn't THAT bad. But I've been consumed with a major project of cleaning/ de-cluttering and organizing every room in our house! I finished all but one room downstairs (the study) so I think I'm doing pretty good! School is out tomorrow and Monday, so I'll take a break and start upstairs next week.

Since we've had some cold weather, I thought chili would be a good meal. I found this turkey chili in Everyday with Rachel Ray. Rachel Ray seemed to like it and it sounded good, so I gave it a try. I almost didn't try this one because it called for black beans. I tried black beans probably eons ago and they were not good so I have stayed away from them since. If I end up making a recipe that calls for them, I usually sub another type of bean. But, this time I decided to use the black beans and you know what?? I liked them! I guess the dish I had before was just bad? Anyway, I'm glad that I tried them!

This makes a very thick and hearty chili with lots of flavor! My husband and I both really enjoyed this chili. I think that you could easily decrease the amount of turkey to 2 pounds without taking away any flavor. If you want a chili that is a little soupier, this is a good Slow Cooker Turkey Chili.

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 lbs ground turkey

2 red bell peppers, chopped (I used green to save $$)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 head of garlic)

3 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp chili powder

4 tsp ground cumin

salt

three (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes

two (15.5oz) cans black beans, rinsed

1/4 cup dry red wine

4 bay leaves

Shredded cheddar cheese (garnish)

Sour Cream (garnish)

Green onions, chopped (garnish)

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over high heat. Working in batches, add the ground turkey and cook until browned. Transfer to a bowl and repeat until all turkey is cooked.

2. Lower the heat to medium high and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender (5 minutes). Stir in the oregano, chili powder, cumin and 2 tsp salt and cook until vegetables are soft (3 minutes). Add the tomatoes, black beans, wine and bay leaves. Stir in the turkey and 1 cup water. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. To serve top with your choice of cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.

This chili also made a great topping for baked potatoes another night. It worked well as leftovers and froze well also.

ENJOY!