slow cooker chili

Perfect for winter warming (or thawing!) and an excellent big game crowd pleaser for the Super Bowl, this new delicious Black Bean Turkey Chili recipe from Jeanette’s Healthy Living is versatile, simple, and healthy.  
From Jeanette: This Slow Cooker Black Bean Turkey Chili is heavy on the beans, making it a lighter and less expensive chili but equally flavorful. We’re in the thick of winter and stews, chili and soups have been on our weekly menus lately. During the wintertime, our bodies crave rich foods, and oftentimes, these foods are heavier and higher in fat. Coming off of the holiday season, however, I’ve been trying to satisfy these cravings with comfort food that’s been lightened up, without sacrificing on flavor or heartiness.
I’ve deliberately called today’s recipe Black Bean Turkey Chili versus Turkey Black Bean Chili because it is heavier on the beans than on the turkey. That means, more fiber and plant based protein, with the added benefit of being a low-cost family meal. Love it when that happens. Oh, and mushrooms add some nice meaty flavor with far fewer calories. Chopped up fine, they meld right into this chili.
Toppings make chili the best, and there’s no shortage of them here. Have some fun with your favorite toppings, whether it’s red onions, scallions, jalapenos, cheese or Greek yogurt.
Crockpot Black Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground toasted cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
7 cups cooked black beans (1 pound dried beans, cooked)
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped up in food processor
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup bean cooking liquid or 1 chicken broth
Garnishes:
Chopped avocado, minced scallions, non-fat Greek yogurt
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook
until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add ground
turkey and cook until browned and cooked through. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, ancho
chili powder, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add
black beans, tomatoes, bean cooking liquid, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pour chili into a crockpot and cook on low 6 hours to develop flavors. Alternatively, continue
cooking chili on the stovetop on low heat for 1 hour.
Jeanette Chen, a resident of New Canaan for 20 years, is the busy mom of 4 boys and author of a popular health and wellness food blog, Jeanette’s Healthy Living. She was recently named 2013′s Best Allergy Blog by Healthline and is always looking for ways to make healthier meals for her family and friends. See more by clicking here