Chili is one of my favorite cold weather entrees. It warms you from the inside-out on those bone chilling days. I think many Texans must agree because, anytime a cold front is approaching, it always seems to be crowded around the chili makin’ section at the grocery store. Chili also happens to be a pretty budget friendly meal, so it was the perfect fit for this month’s Recipe Redux. The theme was to make a “healthy entrée recipe to keep food spending in check for 2017”. Chili is a budget friendly entrée because it uses pantry staples and doesn't require much meat.
Now I know that in Texas, Chili is not made with beans, which is why I am not calling this Texas Chili. To add protein, fiber and stretch the meat, I added kidney beans to the Turkey Chili. I chose to use ground turkey because I think in most places it is often less expensive than ground beef. That is not the case in the cattle-country I live in. If that is your reality too, subbing lean ground beef for the turkey would work fine. Though this is a basic chili recipe it certainly does not sacrifice on flavor. It only takes around 45 minutes total and I think it tastes even better the next day!
Turkey Chili, good for your budget, waistline and soul.
Lean Turkey and Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
- 2 Jalapenos seeded and diced
- 1 cup Onion diced (approx. ½ large white onion)
- 1 pound Lean Ground Turkey
- 1 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
- 1 10 oz. can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
- 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- ½ tsp. ground Cumin
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 2 cups Water
- 1 15 oz. can Kidney Beans
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add jalapenos, onion and turkey. Cook until turkey is browned and drain.
- Add the remaining ingredients to turkey mixture. Bring chili to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let chili simmer for 30 minutes.
Stay warm my friends.
Rose Martine
This looks awesome! Glad to hear it was good with beef too, as that is what I am more likely to have on hand.