White Turkey & Squash Chilli 

Finding a good chilli recipe is a MUST for fall! This week in Katy (Texas) we are FINALLY experiencing our first cold front!! What that means is that instead of low 90’s and upper 80’s during the day, it is actually making it’s way into the low 70’s (and better yet, 50’s-60’s in the morning)! This “chilly” weather brings about a familiar itch to make one of my seasonal favorites ?. Making chilli when the weather turns brisk is a weakness of mine, so I wanted to find a way to enjoy a favorite fall meal while maintaining my goal of eating healthy throughout the week! I combined my white chilli recipe with my autumn squash soup to make the perfect combination of healthy and hearty for this white chilli recipe. This recipe is a relatively quick fix and is also perfect to re-heat and eat throughout the week! My favorite part about this chilli recipe is the way it will make your home smell for the evening ? it fills your house with your favorite seasonal scents – I’d call it Fall in a pot! ?????

A seemingly unrelated but actually very related side note about me – I suffer from acid reflux and have noticed chilli to be one of my biggest triggers of heartburn. For a few years I actually cut chilli out of my diet entirely so not to have to deal with the heavy heartburn afterwards – but last year I decided I had had enough of avoiding this cozy fall favorite! I finally decided to experiment with chilli recipes, manipulating them until I found a combination that was easy on my digestive system. I am SO happy to report that this chilli recipe passes that test – I should rename it “heartburn-free chilli” ??.

I have a love for both red and white chilli, but I have yet to perfect a heartburn free red one ?. For today I will share only my healthy white chilli recipe BUT stay tuned because while my red chilli recipe may be too much for me to handle, it is to DIE for to everyone with normal and healthy digestive tracts! ??

**Nutrition label for this White Turkey & Squash Chilli recipe is included below courtesy of “VeryWell” nutrition calculator!**

Healthy White Turkery & Squash Chilli – Time Needed: 35 minutes (yields 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 carton (or one can) chicken broth (I use low sodium)
• 1/4 c. Milk of choice (whole milk will yield a thicker consistency – I use 2% – add more or less to taste)
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can cannellinni beans
• 1 can white corn (whole kernel)
• Ground turkey (1 16 oz package)
• 1 butternut squash (optional)
• 2 Anaheim chili peppers (or hatch chilis)
• 1 red onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 shallot & garlic clove (minced)
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 4 Tbsp cold water (to thicken)
• Olive oil
• Spices: chilli powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt/pepper, (and anything else you want to experiment with!)
• Optional – cheese of choice (I sprinkle in some low fat mozzerella and cheddar at the very end! A bit of cream cheese would make this recipe SUPER yummy if you’re willing to add a few calories!)

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Veggies – pre-heat the oven to broil. Chop produce as seen above (squash in 1/4 in pieces, roughly chop peppers and onion, mince garlic and shallot). Spread out the squash onto a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper – roast in oven until lightly browned (10-12 minutes – stirring halfway through). Then, reduce heat to 450 and leave the squash in for about 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, cook the peppers, onion, shallots, and garlic in a stockpot with a drizzle of olive oil until their are opaque and lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes on medium-high). (See photo below??)

Step 2: Prepare Turkey – Once the veggies in the stock pot are cooked to your liking, push to one side and add the ground turkey, breaking up into small chunks to cook evenly (over medium-high heat). As the turkey cooks, combine with veggies and continue to break up into small pieces, making sure to cook Turkey through. Once turkey is finally cooked (once pink is gone- about 5-7 minutes), add about 2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin, and a dash of salt/pepper.

 

 

Step 3: Make chilli base – rinse and drain the beans and corn, and then add all 3 of these cans to the stock pot with the turkey. Pour chicken broth and milk into the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-high for about 10-12 minutes until desired consistency is reached, adding more spices to taste (I used about 1 Tbsp chilli powder, 1 tsp more of cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a few shakes of salt/pepper). Remove squash from oven once it is cooked to your liking and add to stockpot.

Step 4: Finish and Serve! – Once your chilli has reached it’s desired consistency and flavor, combine any optional cheese you’d like (see ingredients – I added about 1/2 cup of cheddar/mozzerella mix but cream cheese would be super yummy as well) – the chilli is perfectly yummy without cheese if you prefer to go that route!  Remove from heat and serve with some crackers and avocado slices as a garnish. ??? Pour yourself a glass of Chardonnay and ENJOY!

(Below is chilli with a more of a broth consistency – this was immediately off the pot! Above is a photo from day 2 reheated ?)

I hope you will bring this cozy meal to your home this week. I should mention that this is the perfect healthy lunch to pack for days after it is made (see my lunch shot above ???)- plus the chilli tastes even better on day 2! Bon apetit and enjoy the rest of your work week! ?

-Kelsie ?

(Nutrition label includes optional 1/2 cup of cheese!)