Turkey Chili for the Crock Pot

Crock pot or slow cooker?  I'm sure there's a subtle (or perhaps less than subtle?) difference, but I tend to use the two terms interchangeably.  Regardless, I can't say it enough.  I love using my crock pot.  My mom gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I must say, it is pretty awesome.  It's made by Hamilton Beach (and no, they are not sponsoring this post--I just really like the thing!), and has a base and 3 ceramic inserts of different sizes.  There's a 2 qt., 4 qt., and 6 qt. insert.

Having the different sizes has been really nice, allowing for some versatility depending upon how many people I'll be feeding.  I ended up using the 4 qt. insert for the following recipe.


I really like recipes like this because they 1) allow me to use my crock pot (see above--I love the thing) and 2) they're perfect for busy/lazy days.  Unfortunately, our day has erred on the side of quite busy, albeit pretty tame.  We did some running around yesterday morning and early afternoon, and came home to do some Fall cleaning around the apartment.  Yes, as you may have guessed, Fall cleaning is Spring cleaning's autumnal counterpart.


At any rate, it was the perfect recipe to just toss in the crock pot and then go about our business, starting to clean the apartment.  I did take a short break to bake some pumpkin cornbread (recipe forthcoming!) to go alongside our chili.  This combination was particularly nice and comforting given that this weekend has given us the first real signs of fall in Baltimore.  The skies are overcast and the weather is chilly.  


Alright, I won't delay any longer.  Here's the recipe for Turkey Chili in the crock pot/slow cooker!  Recipe originally found on Amy Bites.

You'll need:

1 lb lean ground turkey breast

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapenos and spices, undrained

6 oz. tomato paste

Cook your turkey in a large skillet until browned, crumbling it as you cook.  Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, sugar, cumin, and salt.  Stir to combine, and cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until the onions are getting tender.


Place this turkey mixture in the bottom of a 4 qt. slow cooker.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste.


Put the lid on the slow cooker, and cook for 4 hours on low.  It's as easy as that!  Amy also notes that you can make this on the stove top.  Start out cooking the turkey, onions, peppers, etc. in a large pot.  After adding the beans and tomatoes, just bring the pot to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for around 1.5 hours.


You can top your chili with cheese, some green onions, or whatever else your little heart desires.

I did end up swirling in some sour cream after taking this picture.  Be forewarned: this chili has a little spiciness to it!  It won't knock your socks off or anything, but it definitely had more kick than either Sean or I were expecting.  I'll probably try dialing down the heat a little more the next time I make it, since neither of us is a big fan of too much heat.  Other than the surprising kick, this chili was really good!  I'll definitely be making more in the near future, and am happy that we have leftovers so that I can take them for my lunch this week.  Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!