Brrrr, baby it’s cold outside! There’s no better time than a cold, winter day to throw together a big pot of chili and enjoy.
My favorite part about chili is that it’s super flexible in terms of add-ins. Have zucchini and carrots on hand? Shred them and throw them in. Bell peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes? Sure, why not!
Sometimes I’ll saute up all the veggies if I have time. Otherwise, I just throw it all in the crockpot and let it cook for the day. They soften up perfectly.
This is also a great freezer meal. Just brown ground meat, put everything in a ziploc bag and freeze until ready to use. Partially thaw then cook chili on the stove or in the crockpot.
And my favorite way to top it is with some Greek yogurt and freshly grated organic cheese. Yum!
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite chili topping?
- 1 pound ground turkey, browned
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
- 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with
- juice
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- 4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Beef Base
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Frank's hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup water
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground turkey into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off any liquid.
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini and sauté until softened and onions are translucent. Add to stock pot with browned ground turkey.
- Pour in the beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste, beef base, and water. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, paprika, and honey. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- This recipe is also great in the crockpot. Add all the ingredients to crockpot and cook on low all day.
- You can sub beef broth for the 1 cup of water in place of the beef base.
