Growing up, Oliver & Company was one of my favorite Disney movies! I couldn't get enough of the music, and it's the source of one of my favorite Disney songs ever (see the video clip at the end of the page). Watching classic Disney movies like that with my roommates is definitely a Saturday night well spent. This week hasn't been much of a week cooking-wise for me, so I vowed to make a big pot of something comforting and spicy that would take a little longer than boiling pasta (which I've been eating tons of lately). So while enjoying watching Oliver, I made one of the best pots of chili I've ever had. I always make vegetarian chili, with tons of zucchini, carrots, peppers, and beans, but I was craving something more substantial. This turkey chili hit the spot, and I even had some leftover chipotle peppers in the freezer that gave it an amazing smoky spiciness. Add some Trader Joe's cornbread, and this meal just might be perfection.
Quick Turkey Chili
1 pound ground dark meat turkey
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
2 canned chipotle peppers, minced***
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (plus 1 can full water)
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt, to taste
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the ground turkey until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until translucent. Add the spices and the chipotle pepper and cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey and the juices back to the pot along with the diced tomatoes, beans, and can-full of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Mash about half of the beans against the side of the pot and stir throughout the chili to thicken it even more. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve hot with cornbread on top!
***I never end up using all of the chipotle peppers in the can, so I took a tip from Rachael Ray and put the leftovers in a baggie and stuck them in the freezer. I took a cheese grater and grated quite a bit of the frozen block into the chili, and it worked perfectly. Definitely try this - it's pretty genius!
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