Mmmmmmm, Chili.

Matt and I aren't usually huge chili eaters, but that could be because we'd never tried this recipe before.

For those of you who are snowed in, I'd recommend it. For those of you who aren't, go ahead and make it, too. It can feed an army, is loaded with flavor, is inexpensive to make, and, since it uses ground turkey instead of beef, is relatively healthy.

Oh, and have some dogs close by in case you drop a half pound of cooked ground turkey on the floor.

Turkey Chili Recipe (adapted from this one on the world wide web)

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (35 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock
2 Tbsp chili powder (or up to 4 Tbsp if you like it really hot)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp salt, plus more if desired to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-2 1/2 pounds ground turkey, browned
Sugar
Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream for optional garnish.

Directions:

1 In a large, 8-quart, thick-bottom pot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for a minute or two more. Add a bit more olive oil if needed.

2 Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, beans, oregano, cocoa, salt, pepper, and cooked turkey meat. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for an hour.

3 Salt to taste. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of sugar to take the edge of the acidity of the tomatoes if desired.

The chili may be made in advance and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for 2 months.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and or sour cream. Serve alone, over rice, or with corn bread.

Makes about 12 cups. Serves 8.

Happy cooking and eating to you!