I can remember Halloween night always being a crazy time at our house when I was a kid. My mom was always frantic with getting dinner on the table, putting last minute touches on all of our kids homemade costumes, and getting all five of us ready and out the door before the night became too late. Which usually meant for fast dinners. Not fast food. Just fast dinners. I think out of all of those years, we might have had pizza twice on Halloween because it was easier. And I think that the pizza nights happened after my mom went back to work full-time.
Even though Moira isn't old enough to participate in after dinner trick-or-treating this year and I don't have five kiddos, a nice quick and easy meal sounds good to me. Any. Day. Of. The Week. Halloween or not. And even better when the meal is actually pretty lean and healthy. Enter one pot/dish wonders. Casseroles, stews/soups, skillet meals, etc. I usually prefer my chili with big chunks of stew beef that has been slow cooked to melt-in-your mouth perfection. Not exactly the epitome of "quick and easy". But fast chili has been achieved. Here.
Now when it comes to chili, I can be pretty picky. I want it to be hearty and satisfying, but not heavy. I want it to have really good flavor without doing unmentionable actions to the insides of my body. I like it chunky with lots of meat, beans, and other veggies. And I like it thick like stew, not thin like soup. The ground turkey is moist, not super chewy, and the veggies are just the right, in perfect harmony with the meat. Spiciness can be determined by the user and how heavy their hand is with the cayenne pepper. And the chicken broth is great at controlling the consistency. 'Cause some like it thick and some like it thin.
Weeknight Turkey Chili
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste, optional (A dash will do ya, but if you like things really spicy, try 1/2 tsp)
3 cups tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (pinto beans would work nicely as well)
1 cup corn (frozen, canned, or even fresh)
1/2 cup beer or chicken broth
3/4 cup chicken broth (to create the thickness or thinness you desire)
2 cups spinach or kale, roughly chopped (if using kale, remove the woody stems from the entire length of the kale leaf)
In a large pot, combine turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink. Add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, corn, and 1/2 cup beer (or chicken broth). Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. If at any point the chili seems to be lacking in broth, add in additional chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time. If you add in too much broth, continue to simmer until liquid has reduced to your desired consistency. Add in spinach or kale. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.Serve with shredded cheese (cheddar or pepperjack would be great!), sour cream, avocado, and corn bread.
Source: Adapted from The Kitchn
Even though Moira isn't old enough to participate in after dinner trick-or-treating this year and I don't have five kiddos, a nice quick and easy meal sounds good to me. Any. Day. Of. The Week. Halloween or not. And even better when the meal is actually pretty lean and healthy. Enter one pot/dish wonders. Casseroles, stews/soups, skillet meals, etc. I usually prefer my chili with big chunks of stew beef that has been slow cooked to melt-in-your mouth perfection. Not exactly the epitome of "quick and easy". But fast chili has been achieved. Here.
Now when it comes to chili, I can be pretty picky. I want it to be hearty and satisfying, but not heavy. I want it to have really good flavor without doing unmentionable actions to the insides of my body. I like it chunky with lots of meat, beans, and other veggies. And I like it thick like stew, not thin like soup. The ground turkey is moist, not super chewy, and the veggies are just the right, in perfect harmony with the meat. Spiciness can be determined by the user and how heavy their hand is with the cayenne pepper. And the chicken broth is great at controlling the consistency. 'Cause some like it thick and some like it thin.
Weeknight Turkey Chili
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste, optional (A dash will do ya, but if you like things really spicy, try 1/2 tsp)
3 cups tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (pinto beans would work nicely as well)
1 cup corn (frozen, canned, or even fresh)
1/2 cup beer or chicken broth
3/4 cup chicken broth (to create the thickness or thinness you desire)
2 cups spinach or kale, roughly chopped (if using kale, remove the woody stems from the entire length of the kale leaf)
In a large pot, combine turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink. Add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, corn, and 1/2 cup beer (or chicken broth). Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. If at any point the chili seems to be lacking in broth, add in additional chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time. If you add in too much broth, continue to simmer until liquid has reduced to your desired consistency. Add in spinach or kale. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.Serve with shredded cheese (cheddar or pepperjack would be great!), sour cream, avocado, and corn bread.
Source: Adapted from The Kitchn
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