The last time Anne Hathaway hosted Saturday Night Live they did a hysterical Les Miserables spoof during her opening monologue. In it, the majority of the SNL cast sang about working hard during the week, performing on Saturday night, and making chili on Sunday. Between my own spouts of laughter, I couldn't help but think, "Ain't it the truth?" There's really no better day to have a bowl of chili than on a rainy Sunday afternoon after church. To add to that, if there's one thing every housewife/mom should know how to make it's a great pot of chili. If you don't already have a go-to recipe, have no fear, you're about to get one. I was lucky enough to stumble across a really great healthy chili recipe a few years back on the Lovely Little Details blog. I made it as it was written the first time, and each time shifted things here and there until coming to a final chili resting place. I decided it is delicious and simple enough to share with my fellow mommies.
Here's what you'll need:
- 1 lb Italian Turkey Sausage
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (leave the seeds if you want more heat!)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 6 oz (1 can) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/4 cups merlot or another fruity red wine
- 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes - undrained
- 2 (15 oz) cans dark red kidney beans - undrained
- shredded cheese to taste
- sour cream to taste
And here's what to do with it all... it couldn't be easier:
Cook sausage and ground turkey over medium-high heat until brown in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Drain the meat and return to pot. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and salt. Mix together until fully incorporated. Add remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 1 hour (at least), stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves and serve with cheese and sour cream as desired. And of course, it will be extra delicious if served with some yummy cornbread!
This is absolutely delicious and like most chili recipes, tastes even better the next day. I'm all about changing things up to meet your personal taste, so if you happen to try this recipe and tweak a few things here and there be sure to leave it in the comments so other moms (including me) can consider your changes.
Enjoy!
