Healthy White Bean Turkey Chili

Midwest Foodie's Note:

I decided to get back on Weight Watchers and was googling recipes. I found one for white bean turkey chili, but decided to put my own spin on it. It is so good, hearty, and has a nice creamy and smoky taste. I only used one teaspoon of red pepper flakes because I was going to be serving it to my 2.5 year old. I was shocked she actually had like 4 hearty bites and was dipping her spoon in the liquid and slurping it up. This is a huge feat for my very picky eater. My hubby said it was a keeper. Also, I used two pounds regular ground turkey and one pound extra lean ground turkey. This recipe can also be OAMC and you could probably get 2 or 3 dinners out of it, depending on your family size. You could also use your slow cooker, just brown the turkey and your spices in a skillet, then transfer the rest of the ingredients into the slowcooker for the exception of the half and half. I would add that 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy! If you are counting points, there is 12 servings. We had hearty helpings, so I would say 6 to 8 servings if you are not restricting your portions.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 1.0 cup

• 1 teaspoon olive oil or 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 medium yellow onions , chopped
• 5 garlic cloves , chopped
• 3 lbs ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 4 (15 ounce) cans of white cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• salt

Directions:

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat.
2. Add oil after pot is hot.
3. Cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
5. Add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes. (If using fresh sage, do not add until the very end.).
6. Add the ground turkey and cook all the way through, until meat is white.
7. Stir in the chicken stock and half and half.
8. If you are using fresh sage, add it at this point.
9. Lower the heat to low, and let the flavor incorporate, about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Serve with low fat cheddar or Mexican style cheese, low fat sour cream, chopped onion, and/or chopped fresh cilantro for garnish.

Reviews

[Chef #1054050]

What a treat! Even my picky eater took two bowls. I will definitely be making this again! I used leftover turkey from a whole roast bird, and it was simply amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

[Sydney Mike]

I did cut the recipe in half when making it & in addition I reduced the amounts of both the chili powder & red pepper flakes, but other than those changes, this chili was made pretty much as given, & we had an extremely nice tasting chili! I have chili that I make with ground beef & another with chicken, so this one is a very nice addition to my chili rotation! The inclusion of the white beans was also a nice change from the usual kidney & chili beans! Thanks for sharing this great keeper of a recipe! [Made & reviewed for one of my adoptees in the current Pick A Chef event]

[nemokitty]

This was a very good chili. I like the fact it uses lower fat turkey and white beans (my favorite). I made the mistake of making it a tad bit too spicy for my taste. Oh well, that happens sometimes. This one is going into the keeper file. Made for PAC Spring 2010.