It's chili in here

I love chili.  Growing up I happily ate canned Stagg chili and my dad would make it from "scratch" for our annual New Year's Eve party.  I ate it with spaghetti (chili mac Steak'n Shake style), with macaroni, on hot dogs, on burgers, with Fritos and nacho cheese (this is bliss, btw)- basically any acceptable way.

During my first year of marriage I learned that chili isn't hard to make.  And when the chili is flavorful enough, you can replace turkey for beef and no one knows any better!  I've made it with several different chili powders and my favorite so far is one I got at Penzey's.  They have at least 4 different kinds, so I'm sure I'll make it enough to try them all.

I usually add diced green and/or red bell peppers for color, and sometimes I'll use black beans instead of kidney beans.  I made a vegetarian version and added summer squash instead of turkey.  I wouldn't recommend putting this on burgers or hot dogs cuz it's more soupy, but you could always add less water and make it thicker.  It's a pretty versatile recipe, and luckily my husband loves it any way I make it.

Without further ado: Simple Turkey Chili from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 (28 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 (16 ounce) can canned kidney beans - drained, rinsed, and mashed
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.
2. Pour water into the pot. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic. Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.