My Favorite Chili

Happy COLD morning to you all! Winter has finally arrived here in Texas and with winter comes chili.

I know everyone is so particular about their chili, only beans, beans and meat, just meat...the options are endless. Jenna's chili happens to be my favorite because of the lean ground turkey and black beans, hearty and healthy. I've made a few adjustments to Jenna's recipe to better suit my taste though. Stay warm and enjoy!

Turkey and Bean Chili via Eat, Live, Run

Turkey and Black Bean Chili slightly adapted from Eat, Live, Run

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup red bell pepper, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 pound ground turkey meat

2 tablespoons chili powder (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2-3 pinches cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)

1 28-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

½ cup chicken stock

2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Cook the  bell pepper until softened—about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the turkey and cook while using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink—about another 5 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder,  and cayenne—stir and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the tomato paste and chipotle peppers (if using) and then add in the diced tomatoes with its juices. Gently stir in the chicken stock and beans and bring the mixture up to a slow boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the chili partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Stir the chili every 10 minutes or so as it slowly thickens. Once it reaches your desired consistency, taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve the chili with shredded cheese on top, pepperjack is excellent in this! Fritos or tortilla chips are welcome additions too.

***If following my recipe above your chili will slightly different than the picture of Jenna's above!