Recipe: Hearty Turkey & Two-Bean Chili

I just popped a melly so please bear with me if this gets all rambly and incoherent. It probably means my forehead is on the keyboard and kefja;li iw aiaw fjakd zzzzzzz.

KIDDING STILL HERE STILL AWAKE. Oh, and melly = melatonin. Aka these magical little vitamin-like pills that I get at Duane Reade so that I can drift off to sleep like a sweet baby. They're legal and I don't get carded when I buy them. But if you're still worried you can pry them out of my cold, dead sleeping fingers.

So this chili. Before you make this recipe please be advised that you should meet at least one, if not more, of the following requirements:

• Eating chili for breakfast, lunch and dinner doesn't sound like the worst thing that could happen.
• There's a moderate amount of room in your freezer. Hellooooo leftovers.
• Your sister is visiting so you can send her home with a quart, double bagged, that she SWEARS she won't forget on the train.
• You have a lot of roommates, neighbors, family members, co-workers, boyfriends, girlfriends, tinder-friends, etc. (BTW these people cannot be vegetarians. Them's the rules.)
• Gosh damnit you JUST LOVE CHILI OKAY!!!

Point being... this makes a whole lotta chili. And I've gotta say, if I'm already going to be measuring and sautéing and can-opening and simmering, I want chili for DAYS. WEEKS. MONTHS. (Months being when I inevitably forget I stashed a small unmarked container of chili in my freezer and have to decipher its contents - fun!)

This is the turkey chili recipe to end all turkey chili recipes. It's PACKED with lean ground turkey, two kinds of beans, and aromatics like onion, bell pepper and garlic. Also, there are not one but TWO secret ingredients in this chili: cocoa powder and cinnamon. They belong in chili. Do not leave them out. I know you have a crusty container of cocoa powder in the back of your cabinet and it's all 'Y U ONLY PUT ME IN BROWNIES???'. Not just for brownies, trust me, even if you don't trust the talking cocoa powder. (Oh hi, melatonin. Feelin' gooooood.)

Welp, goodnight then! My face needs to be on my pillow like ten minutes ago.

Recipe: Hearty Turkey & Two-Bean Chili

[original recipe via Epicurious]

Notes

- Topping ideas: sour cream or plain greek yogurt, shredded cheese, cilantro, chives, diced avocado, tortilla chips, lime wedges, etc.

- A few ways I like to serve this chili: alone (with some of the toppings above), over quinoa or brown rice, on NACHOS (<-- do this), with gluten free bread/rolls for dunking, or over a baked potato or baked sweet potato.   

Ingredients (Makes... A LOT.)
Vegetable or canola oil
1 large yellow or white onion (or 2 medium onions), diced small 
1 large green bell pepper (or 2 small ones), diced small
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tsp cumin 
1 to 1.5 lbs lean ground turkey (I used 1.22 lbs 99% fat free ground turkey breast)
3 tbsp chili powder (or 4 tbsp if you like your chili spicier)
2 dried bay leaves
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Big pinch of ground cinnamon (about 1/8 tsp)
One 28-oz can unsalted, crushed tomatoes 
One 15-oz can tomato sauce 
2.5 cups gluten free beef stock (can sub chicken stock)
Three 15-oz cans beans, drained and rinsed (I use 2 cans white kidney/cannellini beans and 1 can red kidney beans)

Instructions
Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot (like this one, if you have it) over medium heat and drizzle with enough oil to coat the bottom (about 1 tablespoon). 

Add the onions and bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.

Turn heat to medium-high. Push all of the vegetables to the side of the pot, and add the ground turkey. While breaking up with a wooden spoon, cook until the turkey is no longer pink. (Will take about 5 minutes.) Stir together veggies and cooked turkey. 

Add the remaining spices: chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. Stir everything that's in the pot so far. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Stir in the beef stock. 

Bring the chili to a boil, then turn heat to low. Simmer chili for 30 to 45 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally. 

Add the drained, rinsed beans to the chili, stir to combine, and cook for 10 more minutes. 

Serve warm with your favorite chili garnishes (i.e. chives or cilantro, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, cheese, tortilla chips, etc). Re-heats and freezes well!