Game Day Turkey Chili

I love sporting events. For the most part, I don’t really understand the rules or know any players (with the exception of hockey), but I always love an excuse to get a group of people together and enjoy good food.

Photo courtesy of our friends at NatureBox

When most people gather around for Superbowl Sunday, it’s typical to coincide the event with nachos, burgers, traditional chili, deep dish pizza – typically anything that piles on the cheese and meat and skimps on the plant-based proteins, veggies, healthy fats, and whole grains. But there certainly is a way you can have your pizza and eat it, too. We've talked about this before here.


What most people may not realize is that it’s actually quite easy to serve up nutritious versions of these classic football favorites while also satisfying even the heartiest of appetites. All it takes is simply "shifting the plate" to give the plant-based foods more of a starring role. A lot of these good-for-you ingredients add tons of flavor while also dishing out some beneficial nutrition. Take this chili recipe (below), for example, which features mushrooms, beans, and avocado. We think it's a winner!

Photo courtesy of our friends at NatureBox

Superbowl Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 large bell peppers, chopped

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

10 oz mushrooms, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 ½  teaspoons cumin

1 pound ground turkey

12 oz Lager beer

2 14.5oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.    Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms until the onions turn golden brown and the carrots begin to soften – about 8 to 10 minutes.

2.     Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and stir 1 minute.

3.     Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until meat loses its raw color – about 3 minutes.

4.    Add the beer. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

5.     Add tomatoes with their juices and the three kinds of beans. Simmer uncovered and stir occasionally until chili thickens – about 20 minutes.

Garnish chili with shredded cheddar cheese, non-fat plain Greek yogurt, avocado, guacamole, or our Avocado YogurtDip.

These seasonal tips &recipe were featured in the January 18th issue of Health & Family Guide for The Santa Clarita Valley Signal. For more “In Season” tips & recipes (I'm talking Valentine's Day next!), pick up the next issue of The Health & Family Guide on February 8th.