Guest Post: Black & White Turkey Chili
Royal returns with a very special crockpot recipe! Also, be sure to check out her first guest post: Crockpot Mondays
Crockpot Monday vastly became crockpot Saturday when I opened up my refrigerator to a fridge full of leftover turkey from thanksgiving dinner. I have a huge pet peeve of having too crowded of a fridge and I completely freak out if there is food in there that I know is going to waste. Waste! I simply hate to waste, if there is something that I can do to make use out of something then I will be damned if I throw it away. So, being terrified that if I didn’t get the turkey out of there immediately and make use out of it, I would still be looking at it each and every time I opened up the door for the next week. I was not going to have that, nope. I began going through the endless possibilities that my delectable turkey could become, I wanted to make something that wasn’t typically done with Thanksgiving leftovers. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Sheppard’s Pie just as much as the next gal, however, there really wasn’t enough mashed potatoes to deal with making it, and I did not want to make anymore, especially because that would lead to more leftovers, which would lead to more erratic crazy “oh my gosh what can I make with this?!” business and I just didn’t feel like dealing with those stresses.
While walking outside to collect the trash receptacle, barefoot… it dawned on me how chilly of a day is was here in Columbus… cold weather only means one thing, good warm eatin! Then it hit me, black and white turkey chili would be perfect for a day like today. Warm, comforting and filling! And the leftovers can be frozen even!
Here’s how the magic all went down:
• 2 cup chopped celery
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey (or as I referred to him as, Tom)
• 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, I used bushes.
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup of diced sweet red pepper
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (this will light you up!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup skim low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 table spoons of Italian seasoning
I started out by sautéing the onion, celery, bell pepper and sweet pepper as well as the garlic in a pan until tender. While that sautéed, I drained the beans and rinsed them placed them in the crock pot as well as the chicken broth. Added the diced turkey and then put in the sautéed veggies. Finally I added the spices and allowed to simmer on high for about four hours. After four hours, I reduced the heat to low and allowed it to continue cooking. Three hours later, took out one cup of the beans and broth, placed it in the food processor and added one cup of milk. I added the mixture back in to the crock pot and mixed it in, to thicken and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
This was the best white chili I had ever had, and believe you me I am a pretty hard critic especially when it comes to judging my own meals, although a bit on the spicy side with the red pepper and cumin it was just the right amount of heat. Was the perfect meal for a cold winter’s day. So folks, moral of the story? Don’t fret about leftover turkey, make chili!
Posted by: Tina 6 comments
Posted in: Uncategorized, guest blogger, recipe
