Kid-Friendly Turkey Chili Recipe

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Last week, I invited my mom, who is generally not a very adventurous eater, to join us for dinner before staying to babysit one kid while I took the other to a school event (grandma deserves a reward for occupying my - what's a nice way of saying monstrous? - "spirited" toddler when I can't). I wanted to make something that she would enjoy and my kids would eat without complaint. It was also freezing outside and my husband was out of town. That combination called for a non-fussy meal that I could throw in the slow cooker in the morning.

After perusing various recipe websites for inspiration, I threw together this turkey chili, and it was a big hit.

What You'll Need:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced (I'm sure you could substitute a red or yellow bell pepper, but I happened to have an orange one)

  • 1 poblano pepper, diced (substitute jalapenos or other hotter peppers if you'd like a spicier chili and won't be feeding kids who are averse to spicy food)

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • 1.25 pounds ground turkey

  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 (15 oz) can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce

  • 1 cup frozen corn

  • 1 cup beef stock

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2-4 tablespoons flour (optional)

  • Shredded cheese (optional)

  • Tortilla chips (optional)

Now, to turn the ingredients into chili:

  1.  Heat oil in a large pan. Add diced onions, bell pepper, and poblano pepper and cook until onions are translucent (about 6-7 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add ground turkey and cook until the meat is thoroughly browned.

  2. Transfer cooked ingredients into a slow cooker. Add the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, beef stock, sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and mix well.

  3. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

  4. At this point, if the consistency is thinner than you would like, you can add flour to thicken the chili (I added about 3 tablespoons of flour to mine). Mix well after adding the flour, and cook for another 20 minutes.

  5. Serve with shredded cheese for topping and tortilla chips for dipping.

This makes a big pot of chili. And believe me, you will be happy to have leftovers. I had chili for lunch three days in a row after I made this, and I wasn't at all mad about it.