Homemade Chili

I love my homemade chili as it reminds me of my mother’s cooking when I was growing up. I also think that it is super tasty and can small changes can make big differences in anybody’s taste mood.

Ingredients: (I cook in larger quantities. Both for my family, and to be able to freeze leftovers.)

1. 2lbs ground turkey (can also use ground beef, but there is less fat in the turkey)
2. 1 tablespoon butter (real butter, not margarine)
3. 2 cans diced tomatoes
4. 2 cans kidney beans
5. 2 cans black beans
6. 1 can sweet corn
7. 1 cup diced onions
8. 1 tablespoon garlic
9. 2 packets McCormick brand chili seasoning
10. 1 green bell pepper
11. 1 red bell pepper
12. 2 cans diced green chilies
13. Optional - shredded cheese to go on at mealtime, cayenne pepper for an added kick

Start by browning the ground turkey on high heat. With the low fat content of ground turkey you will find that you will need to add a little butter to the pot while you are browning the meat to ensure it doesn’t burn. Use real butter, the taste is better and margarine is just terrible. 

Once the turkey is mostly cooked; add the onions and garlic. Finish cooking the meat, and add the chili seasoning along with 2 cups of water. Mix the seasoning in until all the meat is evenly covered.

Reduce heat to medium, add the cans of kidney beans, and black beans. Rinse the beans off before you add them to the chili. Most canned beans have a “bean sauce” in them and if you put it in your chili the bean flavor will overwhelm everything else. Let that cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the beans begin to soften up a little more. At that time add your corn, and tomatoes. You can add some water at this time if there isn’t enough in the pot to get the “chili” consistency. Shouldn’t be soupy but it shouldn’t all be material as well.

While that is cooking, chop up both of your peppers and add to the pot. After another 5 to 10 minutes of cook time, add your 2 cans of diced green chilies. Reduce heat to simmer, and let stand for 10 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Depending on how long you allow to cook at this time will have the peppers soften up more. I like to go only about 10 minutes so that the peppers are cooked but still a little stiff.

Remove from heat. At this time I like to taste it. I will add salt if it’s needed (probably won’t, but everyone’s tastes are different), and I will add a small amount of cayenne pepper for a little extra kick. Again that is to taste, I wouldn’t put a ton in as it will overpower the other flavors. I also like to serve the dish with tortilla chips. You can add some shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of daisy if you prefer. Enjoy!

I think that this is a wonderful recipe as it tastes great, is fairly easy to make, and can use very small changes to meet everyone's tastes. I feel that this is a healthy recipe as it is packed with vegetables, and lean meat. Per cup there is approximately 224 calories, 7.75g of fat, 19.68g of carbs, and 19.75g of protein. I am no expert, but this seems like a rather balanced meal. It covers food groups - meats, and vegetables pretty well. It can also have the food groups of dairy and grains. I don't add any dairy products to mine, and that is the one area that I think it is lacking. That is easily remedied by adding some shredded cheese to it, or even just drinking a glass of milk along with the meal. (If you over do the cayenne pepper, that's a great way to balance the heat.) The meal could also use a few more grains, and another easy way to balance that is to put the chili over rice. I do this on occasion, but as my wife doesn't like it that way, I don't do it to often. 

One down side to this meal is that it can easily be unhealthy. Adding the wrong ingredients or cheaper ingredients can severely increase the fat content or the sodium content. For instance if instead of ground turkey, you use ground beef and buy the cheaper 70/30 kind... there is a much higher percentage of fat in this over the ground turkey. Also adding excess salt would be another way of making this dish unhealthy. 

All in all, I think it is a delicious, healthy meal that everyone can enjoy. 

T. Payne