"I can't believe it's turkey" Beer Chili

This weather is the worst. I hate rainy days. The only thing that brings me comfort on days like today (other than boxed wine) is something simmering on the stove. I'm not really one to bang my own gong. But, I have to say...I make a pretty rad turkey chili. (Or so I've been told) My recipe is a result of years of tweaking, adding, omitting and rigorous field testing. (yes, I test on animals...and my dog approves) What I've come up with is a pot of goodness that would rival the finest cow-based chili recipes out there. Purists, beware! There are beans in this....and a slew of other things that would make some chili aficionados cringe. But, you know what? It's good. Quite a few people have asked for my recipe in the last month, which is a bit challenging for me because I kinda add and taste as I go along, so I've never really used a recipe. Because of that, the measurements may not be 100%. And I rarely use the same beer. I find I like the flavor best with a brown ale. Dogfish Head Indian Brown is my favorite in this. It adds a nutty flavor that I enjoy. But, Sam Adams works great, too. Pretty much, use whatever you have on hand. Any beer is better than no beer at all. (Except Coors Light...please don't put Coors Light in this...) Have fun with this recipe. It's all about layering flavors, and turkey is not an exceptionally flavorful meat to begin with. So, definitely season every step of the way. If you find it needs more of something to make it to your liking, go for it! It's perfectly acceptable to customize this. You officially have my permission. (I know, you can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Whew.) This makes enough for a pretty big pot. I've fed 12 people with this recipe and had some left over. Alright, here we go:

"I can't believe it's turkey" Beer Chili


2 lbs. ground turkey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion (or 2 medium), diced
5 cloves garlic (I've been known to throw a whole bulb in here), finely minced
2 green peppers, diced
2 cans crushed tomatos (the large cans)
2 cans diced tomatos with green chilis (14.5 oz cans)
1 can corn (when the corn is in season, I use fresh off the cob, 4 ears or so)
2 or 3 cans beans (depending on how much of a legume fan you are. Any combo is fine. my favorite combo is black beans and kidney, white is great too)
Good bit of fresh cilantro


Seasoning Mix- If it's not noted, I measure in half palm fulls, and then season to taste:
Chili Powder
Cumin
Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper (half if you're not into the spice...(also, what's wrong with you!? man up!))
1.5 bottles of beer (on the wall...)

Heat a large pot over medium and get some olive oil down in there. About two swirls of the bottom of the pot. Add your ground turkey and a good bit of cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook until the turkey is about half done (brownish, not pinkish). Add the diced onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes til the onions and pepper are tender and the turkey is cooked through. Add 1 bottle of beer. Cook down until the liquid reduces by about half...probably like 10 minutes. Now dump everything else in (crushed tomatos, diced tomatos with green chilis, corn, beans). Add the seasoning. (half palm full of chili powder, half palm full of cumin, half palm full of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper). Stir. (You can take a shortcut here and use about 2.5 packets of your favorite Chili seasoning, like McCormick or Old El Paso, but I find that if you do that you still have to add more cumin, salt, and chili powder...Up to you!) Simmer everything for about 5 minutes and add the other half bottle of beer. Stir. Reduce heat to low, and let it go! 

Taste, and season as needed. This should cook together for about a half hour. After that, add a good bit of fresh cilantro. Stir together and remove from heat. 


Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced raw onion, fresh cilantro, Sriracha, or whatever other toppings you can dream up! Pro tip- Make this the night before you plan on devouring it. Let it cool, throw it in the fridge, and reheat on the stove when you want it. I find it's even better the second day when all of the ingredients get to hang out and know each other a little bit better. But, for the impatient among us,  it's pretty amazing right out of the gate too. 

This doesn't skimp on flavor at all, but isn't bad on calories either! So feel free have as much as you want. If you try it out let me know what you think in the comments below!