While chili often brings thoughts of crisp fall evenings and snowy winter nights, it is a year round favorite of ours!
In Grade 8 Home Economics class I remember learning to read through the ingredient list and directions of a recipe before starting. It's something I continue to do any time I'm cooking using a recipe. I encourage anyone following a recipe to do the same!
I make this chili in a 12-quart stockpot. I attempted to make it in an 8-quart stockpot, but I couldn't fit all the beans.
Ingredients
3 pounds ground turkey (or ground chicken)
4 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped bell pepper
1 cup minced jalapeno pepper (about 4 - 6 jalapenos) seeded and white "veins" removed if you want it less spicy
16-20 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 to 6 tablespoons chili powder (start with 4 tablespoons)
2 to 3 tablespoons ground cumin (start with 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 cups red wine (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah/shiraz - something you'd drink)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
6 bay leaves
4 tablespoons brown sugar or honey, optional
4 14-ounce cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Optional toppings for serving:
Avocado
Bacon, cooked and diced/crumbled
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Fresh or pickled jalapenos
Hot sauce (I like Cholula)
Scallions, washed and sliced
Sour cream
Tortilla chips or scoops
Saltine crackers
Directions
Note: It goes without saying that you should always wash almost all fresh produce before cutting. I've seen people pile bell peppers on their cutting surface without washing, cut through the center of the peppers and then wash. This could contaminate your cutting surface and your knife. Wash all produce before cutting or peeling! Exceptions for me are garlic and whole onions. I usually peel and mince garlic on a separate board. For onions - and this may sound extreme - I slice the top off (not the end with the root) on a separate cutting board with a different knife, then slip off the skin before slicing/chopping/dicing on my main cutting board.
Heat a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Optional: spray with nonstick spray.
Add ground turkey to the pot, and brown, crumbling up the meat as it cooks with a large spoon. Ground turkey is usually very lean, so you'll have to work at it a bit to make sure you end up with crumbles instead of big chunks. Cook for just under 10 minutes and then add the onions and bell peppers. Stir all together and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up any additional chunks of ground turkey.
Add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and Mexican oregano. Cook and stir for about a minute.
Pour in the red wine. Cook and stir for about a minute. Smell the goodness!
Add the tomato paste and the drained diced tomatoes. Make sure you reserve the liquid from the diced tomatoes in case you need it later. Stir well to mix everything together.
Add the honey, if using, and give it another good stir. Nestle the bay leaves into the mixture. At this point I usually half cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for as long as I can - two to four hours is great.
At any point, if you feel like the chili is "drying out" you can add the reserved liquid from the diced tomatoes.
I add the drained and rinsed beans about one hour before serving so they don't get too soft.
When ready to serve, ladle in to bowls and top with desired extras.
Refrigerate any leftovers within two hours of turning the heat off.
I find chili always tastes better the next day, so if you're able to make it a day before you'll be rewarded.
I pack all the leftovers into storage containers and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, I label with my label maker and place into the freezer. I have a lot of these Pyrex Snap Ware containers. They store four cups and stack well in the refrigerator or freezer. I always choose square or rectangle containers because it's a more efficient use of space.
