Turkey and Three Bean Chili and Cornbread

Need something to stick to your ribs now that it is snowy and cold?  I don't mind the snow, I mean it is January we should have some, but the sub zero temps can go.  I hadn't made chili in a long time, since I moved, and I was feeling the need to have something hot and spicy and full of beans.  Just like me!  Ha!  Sorry.  I will do my best to focus.  Obviously when you have chili you should have cornbread to go with it.  And this is my favorite quick go to cornbread recipe.  You lucky ducks, you get a two-fer with this post!

 Ok.  Focus Maggie, Focus.

The chili:

2 lbs ground turkey
28 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz pinto beans
14 oz black beans
14 oz kidney beans
6 oz tomato paste
2 yellow onions
4 - 6 large cloves of garlic
4 tbls chili powder
1 tbls ground cumin
1 tbls ground coriander
2 tsp oregano
2 tbls canola oil
salt
your favorite hot sauce
any toppings you like - scallions, sour cream, cheddar cheese...

Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pot.  Dice onions and garlic.  Saute the onions with the spices for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the ground turkey.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to make sure noting is sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Add about a teaspoon of salt.  While the turkey is cooking drain and rinse the beans.  Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste.  Stir well to break up the tomato paste.  Add the beans and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes.

You may find that you need to add a little water as it cooks to keep everything from drying out.  Give it a taste and add a little more salt if you need to.  I prefer to keep the chili pretty mild and I let people add hot sauce to spice it up.  That way everyone gets the spice level that they want.  My brother brought me a great hot sauce from Guatemala which I really like to use with chili.

So there you go.  Chili done!

On to the cornbread.

2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix (because it is oh so SIMPLE)
14 oz creamed corn
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix everything together.  It will be a little lumpy.  Don't worry about it.

Pour into a greased 9 x 9 pan.  Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes.  Until a tester comes out clean.

And there you have it!

Eat up and stay warm!

*You can easily make this a vegetarian chili.  Just add two cans of chick peas and one of refried beans to thicken it up!