I’m totally into the one-pot meal lately. How delightful to throw a mess of stuff in one big pot, leave it for awhile, and come back to a meal. It’s almost as if I had a personal chef! I don’t know why I looked down on one-pot meals before. Perhaps I’ve always had that “if I didn’t take me three hours to make it’s not worth it” mentality, but let me promise you that grad school has knocked that attitude right out of me! Besides, one-pot meals can be incredibly complex, what with all the marinating and marrying of flavors.
So let’s talk chili. I’ve never been a big chili girl and I think this mostly had to do with being born and raised in San Diego where big pots of steaming food don’t totally fit in. When it’s 75 degrees most of the year, you think salad, not chili. Well folks, here in New England, all I can do it think about chili, soups and slow cooker meals. Dreamy Dish has gone all sensible and what not!
OK, so turkey chili. The Californian in me really wanted something lighter and healthier, with some smokiness, complexity and interest. Voila! This dish delivered. I thoroughly enjoyed it with a glass of cabernet, but drink as you choose!
Turkey Chili with White Beans
Adapted from Bon Appétit
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, medium chop
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ pounds lean ground turkey
¼ cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed, drained
Chopped red onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Light sour cream
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 8 minutes. Add oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up with back of spoon. Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add tomatoes with their juices. Mix in stock and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)
Ladle chili into bowls. Pass red onion, cilantro and sour cream separately. ENJOY!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks like a great chili dish — a must try for one of my February meals. I am enjoying your site and will return again to see what’s cooking.
Yum! I love chili! It’s always a fun dish to bring to a party/pot luck. I feel you on the SoCal don’t do chili though.