Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

                             

Needing an easy, low effort meal, I pulled out a turkey chili recipe I started making a few years ago. I love to add butternut squash to my brisket chili, but I had a sweet potato leftover from a recipe I didn't get to last week and decided to add it to this instead. I also like to include black beans for added protein and fiber. This is a great big batch meal to make because it refrigerates well for leftovers or freezes well to come back to when needed.

Prep time will take you about 30 minutes - less if you have veggies already chopped up. Cook time is about an hour to an hour and a half for the most robust flavor, but it can be less if needed for your schedule. While you can make it in a crockpot, I always prefer to slow cook in a dutch oven. 

Ingredients:
Yields 6 servings

• Olive oil
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles (medium heat)
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, small cubes
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• Cheese, optional garnish
• Avocado, optional garnish
• Sour cream, optional garnish

1.) In your cast iron pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add the onion. Saute until fragrant, then add the garlic.

2.) Stir in the ground turkey, breaking it up into smaller bits and season with generous sprinkles of cumin and chili powder. Once meat has turned from pink to mostly white, add the red bell pepper, can of roasted tomatoes, and the cubed sweet potatoes, letting cook on high simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften. 

3.) Next up add the beans, followed by the taco seasoning packet. Give it all a good stir and allow to cook together for a few minutes before adding the stock, mixing well to combine as you go. 

4. ) Turn the heat down to a simmer and set your timer for an hour. In the cast iron pot, I don't set and forget, rather it needs a little attention here and there to stir. After about an hour on a low heat, your sweet potato will be nice and soft, and all the flavors well blended. Feel free to cook longer, but it'll be good to enjoy by this point. 

5.) Scoop to serve and top with your favorite chili extras such as sour cream, cheese, and/or avocado.