A few years ago if you asked me if I liked chili, I would have wrinkled my nose at you and said, “Eww, no!”

As a kid I hated chili! Now, as an adult, I can articulate that the reason I didn’t like chili was the texture of canned tomatoes made me gag, kidney beans were are gross and onions can ruin just about anything.

After Brad mentioned wanting chili several times, I really thought about it and went browsing around the internet for a recipe for chili that I could make for him and that I would actually like. Since there was ground turkey in the fridge and black beans in the pantry, that’s were my search started. I couldn’t find just one recipe that I wanted to try, but I liked elements of a few of them so I did my own.

Turkey & Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:

• 1-1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (ground chicken or ground beef will also work)
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 2 cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• about 1/4 cup tomato sauce or paste (I used pizza sauce)
• Cyan pepper
• Chili powder
• Hot sauce of choice (I use Sriracha)
• Shredded cheese [Optional]
• Corn bread [Optional]

To Make:

• Brown ground turkey in skillet, seasoning with chili powder and a dash of cyan pepper.
• Put ground turkey, beans, tomatoes and chiles in large pot or slow cooker.
• Sprinkle with chili powder and add another dash of cyan pepper.
• Add broth and hot sauce and stir.
• Stove top: Bring pot to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slow cooker: Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. If possible stir periodically.
• Depending on your desired thickness and tomato-level stir in tomato sauce or paste with chili on low.

We serve this in a bowl over crumbled cornbread and topped with shredded cheese.

Chili is not a photogenic food

With record-breaking cold temperatures this winter, chili has been a great warm meal to make us feel just a wee bit less cold. What’s your favorite winter food?