Stovetop/Crockpot Turkey Chili – Chili and football, teammates for life!

Football fans all over the country will be enjoying great food and exciting Super Bowl game this weekend! Get your own game plan on paper and go for a touchdown with this DELICIOUS chili recipe. You’ll LOVE how easy it is to put together on the morning of your party and have it ready to serve by midday or dinnertime.

STOVETOP CHILI FOR A CROWD

Makes enough for 12-14 average chili bowl servings, or 14-15+ small bowl servings.

3 lbs lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
3 cups onion, chopped small
1 1/2 cups green bell pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tblsp. chili powder
3 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tblsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt

1 (12 oz) can + 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
3 (14.5 oz) cans of chopped tomatoes (may be called ‘Mexican-style’) with JALAPENO PEPPERS
3 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, DO NOT DRAIN (low sodium) (beans can be omitted)

1) In a large, deep skillet, brown and crumble meat over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes. If your skillet can only handle 1 1/2-2 lbs of meat at one time, cook meat in two batches (drain off beef drippings) and combine well in crock pot later.

2) Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic and continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. (If ground beef was used, drain meat thoroughly of drippings.)

3) Lower skillet to medium heat. Add spices, stir well. Cook for a few more minutes. Turn off heat.

4) In large soup pot, combine tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and kidney beans (do not drain beans, add liquid). Stir until well mixed. Add meat mixture and stir until chili is well combined. Cover. Cook on stove on ‘simmer’ heat for 1 1/2 hours.

5) Stir once or twice during cooking time to be sure it isn’t burning at the bottom. Refrigerate or freeze unused portions.

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CROCKPOT CHILI FOR A SMALL GATHERING

For 6-8 average chili bowl servings or 10+ small servings:

2 lb ground turkey (or could use ground beef)
2 cups onion, chopped small
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tblsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

1 (12 oz) can of tomato paste
2 (14.5 oz) cans of chopped tomatoes (may be called ‘Mexican-style’) with jalapeno peppers
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, DO NOT DRAIN (low sodium) (beans can be omitted)

1) In a large, deep skillet, brown and crumble meat over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes. If your skillet can only handle 1 1/2-2 lbs of meat at one time, cook meat in two batches (drain off beef drippings) and combine well in crock pot later.

2) Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic and continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. (If ground beef was used, drain meat thoroughly of drippings.)

3) Lower skillet to medium heat. Add spices, stir well. Cook for a few more minutes. Turn off heat.

4) In crock pot, combine tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and kidney beans (do not drain beans, add liquid). Stir until well mixed. Add meat mixture and stir until chili is well combined. Cover crock pot. Cook on ‘low’ for 3-4 hours.

5) Stir once during cooking time to be sure it isn’t burning at the bottom. Unplug crock pot base, serve from crock. Let chili cool before storing excess. Refrigerate or freeze unused portions.

A good, shredded cheddar cheese is the perfect topping for a bowl of homemade chili. Chopped green onions, chopped raw onions and/or a dollop of sour cream are a few other toppings you might consider. Serve a side platter with a block of cheese, bread chunks or crackers, and cornichon/gherkin or dill pickle spears. Or, go in a Tex-Mex direction and serve tortilla corn chips (for dipping) and corn muffins with butter, on the side. Yum!

Source: recipe has been adapted from http://www.Amybites.com ‘slow cooker turkey chili’