Spicy-smoky slow-cooker turkey chili

We haven't been particularly healthy in our eating habits for the past week or so, but we started off the new year pretty well. The same week that I made turkey burgers, I used the rest of the ground turkey in the fridge to make a spicy-smoky turkey chili in the slow-cooker. I adapted a non-slow-cooker recipe to get the following:

Spicy-Smoky Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

(Makes 4 really big servings)

·         2 Tbsp olive oil

·         1 onion, chopped

·         5 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

·         1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

·         1 habanero peper, seeded and chopped

·         2 lb ground turkey

·         2 Tbsp chili powder

·         2 tsp chipotle red pepper flakes

·         1 Tbsp smoked Spanish paprika

·         1 Tbsp ground cumin

·         2 tsp dried oregano

·         1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

·         1 (1oz) envelope instant hot chocolate mix

·         1 tsp kosher salt

·         1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

·         1 tsp liquid smoke

·         1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers, drained

·         1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with japaneo peppers, drained

·         1 (8oz) can low-sodium tomato sauce

·         1 (15oz) can black beans, drained

·         ½ C “normal” beer (like an amber)

·         ½ C frozen shoepeg corn

·         1 Tbsp hot pepper sauce

1.       Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and peppers, and cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent. Remove to a bowl.

2.       Add ground turkey, then cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the cooked vegetables and combine.

3.       Add chili powder, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper, hot cocoa mix, and salt; stir.

4.       Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans. Add the beer and frozen corn, and combine.

5.       Move mixture to slow cooker, cover, and set on low for 6-8 hours.

6.       Stir in hot pepper sauce, if desired, cover and let sit for a few minutes, then serve. Feel free to garnish with any or all of the following: diced fresh tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, etc.