White Turkey Chili

I'd seen photos of white turkey chili and always thought it looked delicious and wanted to try it but have been too lazy to make it.  Since it rained yesterday and I couldn't go out and take photos I decided to try the Williams-Sonoma recipe.  I altered the recipe a bit and made quite a few substitutions because 1) I didn't have any turkey leftovers that the recipe called for, 2) I omitted the cilantro because my girlfriend doesn't care much for it (although I LOVE it) , 4) omitted the oregano because I don't care much for the flavor, and 3) because Great Northern beans were more convenient to buy so I used them instead of cannellini beans.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large white onion

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

Salt, ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 lb mild green chilies, roasted, peeled, and diced or 3 cans (7 oz) of whole roasted mild green chilies, diced

4 to 4-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 lb ground turkey

3 cans (each 15 oz) Great Northern beans

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Shredded jack cheese, sour cream and lime wedges for serving.

Mince/dice jalapeno, garlic, and onion and set aside.

In a frying pan, cook ground turkey until done.  I added salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder as it cooked. When done, set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic.  Add salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Stir and cook until onions are nearly translucent.

Stir in green chilies and 4 cups of chicken broth.

Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a slow cooker*.  Stir in ground turkey and beans (and cilantro, if you decide to use it). 

Put cornmeal in a small bowl and slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of broth.  Stir the cornmeal mixture into the turkey mixture.  Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.  Thin the chili with more broth if needed.   

*If you don't have a slow cooker, transfer the mixture to a pot and cook on medium heat for 1 hour.  Stir occasionally.

Serve the chili with cheese, sour cream, and/or lime wedges.

Serves 6 to 8. 

I baked sweet cornbread (click here for the recipe) to go with the chili and what a delicious and filling meal it was!

PS.  Despite the lack of cilantro, the chili was quite flavorful and no particular ingredient overpowered the other.  It was a nice balance of all the flavors.  As a side note, if you like things really spicy, I recommend substituting hotter green chilies for the mild ones.  

Enjoy!