Cold Weather Meals!
I live in Arizona- where it doesn’t often get freezing outside. In fact, if you live outside of Arizona, you may think we have hot, sunny weather all year long! In fact, that is not true. We do get some cooler temperatures! In January, temperatures sometimes dip down into the 30’s. And there’s even good layer of frost on our poolside lounge chairs in the mornings! This is quite a change in winter weather from when we lived in the Reno-Tahoe area, but I welcome that change for sure. In any case, the “warmer” winter weather we have here in Arizona still calls for some hot comfort food once in a while. Chili is the perfect warm-you-up kind of meal.
How to make Turkey Pumpkin Chili:
This Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe is very easy to make. You can have the whole thing prepared in just 20 minutes. Brown lean ground turkey in a pan, then remove the cooked meat to a paper towel to drain. Then sauté onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened. The remaining ingredients are then added to the pan, along with the cooked turkey meat. Simmer for one hour, and that’s it!
Taste the chili after an hour of simmering. If it’s too thick for you, add a little water. If it needs more spice, then add more spice. The flavor of chili is all a matter of preference, so change it up as needed.
What does pumpkin puree do for chili?
I promise that your chili won’t taste like a weird pumpkin concoction. Pumpkin is used in plenty of savory recipes, and in the case of this chili… it provides great texture and it’s good for you too. Don’t leave it out! In fact, I highly recommend serving this turkey pumpkin chili with my pumpkin cornbread. They are a great combination! Beer bread is another good pairing.
We sometimes serve this chili with shredded sharp cheddar sprinkled on top– melted and yummy! Sour cream and fresh cilantro are good additions too.
Weight Watchers Friendly Chili:
If you’re following the Weight Watchers program, this chili computes to ZERO points on the blue and purple programs. On green, it computes to 4 points per serving. That’s a big win! I like to make a big batch of it to have for lunch all week long. Enjoy!
