Alright, maybe I've been watching too much Throwdown w/ Bobby Flay b/c this recipe is on ingredient-overload!!! Do not be horrified by the Lord or the Rings-like lengthy list of ingredients, my friends. I can tell you that I had over 80% of these things in my house and the rest did not cost me more than $12 and 20 minutes at the grocery store.
So c'mon! Fall is here and the NFL is back. (miss you Summer...miss you so much) Chili is exactly what the season calls for. Check out this recipe and give it a shot. I guarantee you'll be happy.
Triple Threat Chili: Sweet, Spicy & Smokey
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lg pk Ground Turkey (or whatever ground meat you prefer) salted to taste before cooking
1 lg white onion, diced
1 lg cubanelle pepper, diced
1/3 bag of frozen mixed peppers (Fresh is ok, too. I just had the frozen ones on hand.)
1 Med sweet potato, cubed, (microwave w/ some liquid for 3 min after cubing for best results)
1 can white kernel corn, drain & reserve liquid
1 can golden kernel corn, drain & reserve liquid
1 can kidney beans, drained - do not save reserve liquid b/c it's disgusting
1 can black beans, drained - do not save reserve liquid b/c it's even worse than the other one
1/2 sm can of Adobo chilies (they're sweet and smokey)
1 lg can of crushed tomatoes
1 reg can of tomato sauce
1/2 TBSP of garlic powder
1 TBSP of white pepper (if you don't have it, black pepper is fine)
1 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 TBSP of chili powder
1/2 TBSP of cayenne pepper
1/2 TBSP cumin
Salt to taste
3 dashes of Frank's red hot
2 handfuls of semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp veg or olive oil
(all spices can be adjusted to your preference and/or omitted/swapped out w/ alternate spices)
Hardware needed:
1 lg skillet & 1 lg crock pot or lg sauce pot
Crock pot:
1. Put your crock pot on HIGH (if you're doing a sauce pot, just put on med heat). Pour in the can of Crushed tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Adobo chilies, the microwaved Sweet Potato and half of the reserved liquid from the corn. Season this sauce w/ all the spices and the Frank's red hot.
Skillet:
1. Heat your skillet to Medium heat w/ the oil in the pan. Sauté the Onion and all Peppers until translucent.
2. Add the ground meat and cook until the meat is mostly cooked through. Add the remaining half of the reserved corn liquid to the meat and finish cooking.
3. When cooked through to your satisfaction, add the entire contents of the skillet into your crock pot or sauce pot. You're now done w/ the skillet! Buh-bye!
Crock pot:
1. Stir all contents and add in the chocolate chips. Stir continuously until they are melted. Cover for about 30 minutes. (If you're like me, you'll go taste it every 5 seconds, smothering it like an overbearing mother.)
2. As needed, adjust the spices to your preference.
3. Add all beans and cover again.
4. Continue to cook, adjusting temperature as needed. Cook until the meat has absorbed a noticeable amount of the liquid/thickens and the sweet potato is cooked through/tender.
5. Add corn at the end and allow it time to soften before serving.
6. Stuff your face!!!
***I personally enjoy putting a spoonful of sour cream in my bowl, then putting in the chili…and then maybe some shredded cheddar cheese on top. It's super skinny and healthy that way. Corn bread for dipping also adds to the tastebud overload - in a good way.
