Turkey Chili

I made this for my parents tonight after a friend of mine recommended the recipe to me. I was excited for the first chili of the season and it was quite appropriate to make tonight since the temperature hovered around 50 degrees today and got even cooler in the evening. Bring on the chili! You get the oyster crackers and I'll grate the cheese! (Didn’t everyone grow up with oyster crackers in their chili?!?)

It tasted great and was very satisfying, although I must confess that with a title like Turkey Chili with White Beans, the appearance that comes to mind is more of a white chili. But, this more closely resembles a regular ground beef chili with slightly less of a tomatoey sauce. I really enjoyed the heat level in it and there are also a good amount of beans in there, which I love. I used Penzey's medium hot chili powder (actually, all the spices were Penzey's) so I used a bit less than called for, and Penzey's cocoa powder, which is about twice as strong, so I used less of that, too. It was a good reminder to me that you can use less of good quality spices - and must use a lot more with crap supermarket brands - to achieve the same amount of flavor called for. (I could write a whole blog about Penzey's! I'm such a fan - especially their extra fancy Vietnamese cinnamon!)

This one is a keeper for a somewhat healthier chili with lots of depth while still being easy to put together. Leftovers would be great over a plain baked potato!

Turkey Chili with White Beans
(an Epicurious recipe)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (I used a little less)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
3 cups beef broth (low sodium)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
3 15-oz cans small white beans, rinsed, drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
grated cheddar cheese, optional
sour cream, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add the oregano and cumin; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the ground turkey to the pan and break apart with a spatula. Brown and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, bay leaves, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Let these spices cook for about 1 minute.

Pour in the canned tomatoes and break them apart a bit. Stir in the tomato sauce and beef broth. Bring this to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the white beans and cilantro and cook 10 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream, if desired.