Wisconsin Mommy's Turkey and Vegetable Chili Recipe

Wisconsin Mommy’s Turkey and Vegetable Chili Recipe

I’ve never been a huge chili fan. I don’t really care for super spicy foods and regular chili tends to be a bit too spicy and heavy for me. Once I branched out and started trying lighter versions, like poultry and vegetable based chili, I found that I really enjoyed it. It’s easy to prepare and makes a great meal on a cold winter day (or for a special occasion like New Years or a Superbowl party).

After trying a good number of different chili recipes, I wound up combining the elements of the ones I liked best and came up with my own version. It’s light on the spices (but you can adjust that to your particular taste) and heavy on vegetables.

Wisconsin Mommy’s Turkey and Vegetable Chili

You will need:
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. ground Turkey breast
1 – 1 1/2 C. Chicken Broth
cooking spray
1 large sweet onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 carrots
1 can Red Gold tomato sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 large (or 2 small) cans Red Gold diced tomatoes
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
8 – 10 mini zucchini (or 1 – 2 regular zucchini)
1 red bell pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or crushed red pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

for garnish:
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped scallions

Directions:

Start by coating a large pan with cooking spray.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic cloves and saute until transparent and soft.

Slice the carrots into medallions and add to the onion/garlic mix in the pan. Cook until carrots are softened, but not mushy.

Remove the carrot/onion mix from the pan and set aside. Add more spray if needed. Brown ground turkey until fully cooked.

Return carrot/onion mix to the pan with browned turkey. Add the can of tomato sauce.

Besides the obvious spices, much of the flavor comes from the tomatoes in this recipe. Be sure to use high quality tomato products such as Red Gold to maximize flavor.

Add Red Gold diced tomatoes.

Add the chicken broth and stir into the mix. (Homemade chicken broth is the best, but use whatever you have on hand.)

Add the spices – I prefer a smoked paprika, but again, use whatever you have on hand. Adjust the amounts to suit your personal taste.

Add the kidney beans.

Allow the chili to simmer on low heat while you prepare the veggies.

Slice up the mushrooms, zucchini, and red pepper and add to the pot.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the chili to cook over a low/medium heat for about 35 – 45 minutes. I do not like my veggies mushy, so I tend to go for the shorter amount of time.