Every year at work we have a fundraising chili cook-off. Last year there were three categories: Original, Whoa, and Cool. For the purposes of the cook-off I used a little less heat than normal so that I wouldn’t cross the edge into “Whoa” where I knew my recipe had no chance. As you can probably infer from the title of this blog post, my original recipe won Best “Cool” Chili!

I developed this recipe my senior year of college when our Silver Wings chapter provided a chili dinner for the Air Force ROTC. It’s a tomato based turkey chili with corn. I don’t really like super meaty chili, so this recipe could almost border on a chunky soup level. It was such a huge complement when I saw that my pot of chili was gone first!

My chili is the first recipe I ever created, and it’s exciting to know it’s a hit! I make it every year for Thanksgiving, so that if people get hungry before turkey time there’s something ready and waiting in a slow cooker. They can help themselves without getting in the way of dinner prep. It’s perfect for tailgates, potlucks, and quick dinners and easy lunches.

I decided that the Super Bowl was the perfect time to debut my chili on the blog!

Award Winning Cool Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (any color you prefer)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans (15 oz each) corn, drained
• 1 1/2 C chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano*
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme*
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram*
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary*
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley*
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
• salt, to taste

*If you have a spice blend, such as Mrs. Dash, feel free to use 2 tsp of that instead

Steps:

1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, saute onion and bell pepper until onion is translucent, season with a pinch of S+P if desired. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add ground turkey to the skillet and cook 10 minutes, or until cooked through, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
2. In a large pot, or a slow cooker, add all remaining ingredients. When turkey is cooked drain any fat and add it to the chili.
3. Bring chili to a simmer and cook on low heat at least 1 hour. If using a slow cooker, cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH 1-2 hours until hot. Remember, the longer you let it stew the stronger the flavors will be.
4. Serve with your favorite chili toppings (i.e. shredded cheese, tortilla chips, oyster crackers, sour cream, yellow mustard) My personal favorite and my recommendation is to serve with Fritos corn chips.