Home Cooks Online

A spicy, slow cooker recipe from contributor, Dave Utrata (otherwise known around here as "HeyDave".)

First off, I realize that this may offend the chili purists out there, as well as messing with those sacred memories people seem to cherish regarding Thanksgiving-themed meals.  Oh well.  In any case, this is a chili variation I came up with recently during this intolerable, endless winter.  I wanted to include some of those homey tastes of turkey and trimming memories for fun.  Then the fun spread when I talked to my buddy Rick, owner of Wallaby’s bar and grille in Ames, IA.  I stopped by his place for coffee one day (before they were open; I’m the man!) and got some great tips from him that I incorporated into the recipe, and I also scored some Paul Prudhomme Poultry Magic to try out.  So:

Thanksgiving Turkey Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey


• 1 large yellow onion, diced


• 1 green pepper, diced


• 2 celery stalks, diced


• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced


• 1 can okra


• 1 can okra with tomatoes and corn


• 1 can great northern beans


• 1 can garbanzo beans


• 1 Tblsp Prudhomme Poultry Magic (thanks Rick!)


• 1 Tblsp cumin


• 1 chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (from can)


• ½ cup chicken broth


• 1 tsp allspice


• 3 bay leaves


• 1 tsp hot ground red pepper (*sigh* optional, I guess)

1. The tip I got from the professional was to begin by sautéing the “Trinity” of onion, green pepper and celery together in a large skillet.  I used olive oil at this stage, but you could easily substitute butter.  Sautee these until the onions are just starting to brown, then put them into a slow cooker/crock pot.  Don’t clean the skillet, just put the turkey in for browning.  Mix the turkey around, essentially deglazing the pan.  When browned, add to the crock pot.  Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and set to ‘high’ heat. 


2. The ingredients listed here just about filled my crock pot, but I assume there could be some variation in capacity for different models.  They all seem about the same size to me, but is that just an illusion?  Anyway, if you seem to be running out of space, I’d suggest leaving the can of plain okra out, or sacrificing the great northern beans.  Your call.


3. Cover and let cook on high for about two hours.   You’ll see that some settling has occurred and you now have room to comfortably stir the mixture.  Do so, and check the spices at this time.  I’ve learned that people get pretty animated regarding spices and heat that they enjoy in their food, and I take no blame for any reduction in both.  I immediately reached for the very hot ground red pepper and a bit more Poultry Magic, which I found salty enough for my taste.  Obviously, your mileage may vary.


4. Cooking on high for another hour worked well in my crock pot.  The vegetables were soft but not breaking apart, the beans were still holding up, and the distribution of spice and heat seemed about right.  I ate bowls of this (one was just not enough) with some oyster crackers, but this would likely be a good time to experiment with the addition of any of your favorite bread.  Suddenly winter seems less formidable.