Go-To Turkey Chili (easy and always gets rave reviews)

Despite the wild temperature fluctuations we’ve been having in the Northeast, I think of Fall as soup time. I love soups because I can usually toss things in a pot, then go on my merry way while they do their thing. Plus, there’s nothing more comforting that a bowl of warm soup. I recently made this chili in 15 minutes. It was one of those days when I never caught a break…but I’d promised a girlfriend I’d come over to catch up, and I’d bring dinner along. Plus there’s the whole issue of my husband wondering what it is I was doing all day (“oh, just eating bon bons honey”), so I thought I should quickly get dinner made for all involved...

The beauty of this chili “recipe” is that you literally sauté the meat, then dump in the other ingredients, let it simmer while you check email or give the kids a bath, and it’s done. Combine it with a side of cornbread (made using Trader Joe’s cornbread mix which doesn’t have anything funny in it), and it’s even better.

My Go-To Turkey Chili
(This chili freezes beautifully, and also makes a great meal to give to a friend in need, so I always make a big batch.)

Olive oil
2 lbs ground white meat turkey (also great with beef, or TVP crumbles)
2 onions, chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can hominy (optional…I had some on hand)
1 jar marinara sauce or tomato sauce
1 jar salsa (whatever level of spiciness you like)
1 large can chopped tomatoes, no need to drain them, just toss them in)
Cider vinegar
Cinnamon
Cumin
Chili powder
(brown sugar, if necessary)

Saute the turkey and onions in a little olive oil. Once they have cooked for a bit, toss in the bell peppers and carrots too. Once the meat is cooked through, I toss in the 4 cans of beans. Last night I also added hominy because I had it on hand.

Then I poured in the tomato sauce, salsa, chopped tomatoes. For seasoning, I add a splash of cider vinegar (which you can correct with brown sugar if you ever get it too tart), and cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon. Continue adding the seasonings to taste. Turn the heat to low, and let it simmer for as long as you need. You'll just want to give it a stir every once in a while, so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

There’s that it. You’re done. You just mastered the easiest chili (that always gets rave reviews)!