Turkey Tuesday: White Bean and Turkey Chili

In my mind, I’m always going to do a new “Turkey Tuesday” post each week that features a turkey recipe. Yep, in my mind, I’m totally right there.

Okay, so it hasn’t really worked out that way so far. In other words, this is my very first Turkey Tuesday post after two years of blogging.

Luckily, I think it’s worth the wait. Once you make this chili and it’s simmering on your stovetop, you are going to be like, “Shut up! This smells soooo good.” And then your family is going to look at you like you have, perhaps, gone a little crazy but you don’t even mind because you’ve got this yummy turkey chili thing going on.

This is what I love about this chili:

1) It’s ground turkey. (Well, duh. You saw that coming, right?)

2) It’s jam-packed with seasonings – oregano, cumin, fennel seeds, chili powder and red pepper flakes.

3) A generous amount of garlic and onions, simmering in olive oil to start this whole process out.

4) Cannellini beans. Love them. Plus combined with the ground turkey, this chili is packed with protein.

5) It’s a thick chili and ingredients aren’t fancy schmancy; it’s the perfect comfort food for this time of year. Add a little crusty French bread and butter on the side and … perfection.

I adapted this recipe from Giada’s white bean and chicken chili recipe on FoodNetwork.com. It’s very similar – I substituted ground turkey and didn’t include the Swiss chard. I don’t know about you, but the idea of leafy Swiss chard simmering in chili for an hour+ just doesn’t sound that appealing to me. If you’re into that sort of thing, then by all means go ahead and add it back in. I won’t tell.

If you give this chili a try, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And hey, remember our little #EatMoreTurkey pact where we’re all going to try at least one new recipe with turkey in the next week or two?  This would totally count. 🙂

White Bean and Turkey Chili

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Ground black pepper for seasoning
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• Sour cream, if desired

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the turkey mixture. Add the beans, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.