Indian Summer Turkey Chili

Rachael Ray 30-Minute Get Real Meals, p. 101

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (twice around the pan)

1 ¼ pounds ground turkey breast (99% lean) (average weight of one package)

3 tablespoons dark chili powder

1 tablespoon grill seasoning

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)

2 tablespoons hot sauce (eyeball it)

1 large yellow onion, quartered

2 bell peppers, any colors, cored , seeded, and cut into ¼-inch dice

¾ cup (1/2 bottle) beer (the alcohol cooks out)

1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce or tomato puree

½ cup smoky barbecue sauce

1 cup frozen corn kernels

TOPPERS

Shredded cheeses: smoked white sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack, chipotle Cheddar, five-peppercorn Cheddar, Monterey Jack

Sliced canned jalapenos, drained

Salsas

Sour cream

Chopped green olives and pimientos

Chopped fresh cilantro

I wonder what bell peppers looked like before humans started engineering them into these beautiful bulbs. 

Heat a pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and the ground turkey. Season the meat with chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles.

Chop the onion, reserving one quarter of it for topping the chili. (Chop the reserved onion extrafine.) Brown the meat for 5 minutes, then add the onion and bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more. Add the beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up the drippings and cooking off the alcohol. 

Go Texans?

Add the tomato sauce or puree, barbecue sauce, and corn and bring the chili to a bubble. Let the chili simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and heat level to your taste. Remove from the heat and serve with chopped raw onion and your choice of toppers.

Taco-seasoned shredded cheese was a nice simple counterpoint.

My Rating: 4/5 "This really is a wonderful chili. I'm not giving it a full five stars because it was just a titch too hot to handle. (That may have been because the grill seasoning I chose was the Spicy Montreal Steak blend.) But the overall flavor is multifaceted and fun and I enjoyed eating it!"