California Turkey Chili

Who's excited for the Big Game? I'm pretty excited that the Broncos are going! I'm technically a Bears fan being from Chicago, but I was born in Denver so the Broncos come in at a close second. This year, I'm trying to have a few "healthy" version of Superbowl snacks. Lately, I've been craving chili so I decided to try and recreate my favorite chili that I had in California. After doing some research, I based it off of Giada's. This spicy chili packs a ton of flavor, but the turkey lightens it up on calories. Instead of loading on cheese and sour cream, I topped it with avocado to get a great creamy flavor. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil

2 large poblano chilis (seeded and diced)

1 large white onion, diced

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped (not necessary, but adds some veggies)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 lbs ground turkey meat

1/4 c tomato paste

2 T chili powder

1 T ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t ground cloves

2 tsp packed brown sugar

3 c low-sodium chicken broth

1 15 oz can cannellini beans (drained)

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add poblanos, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Sauté until softened (about 7 minutes).
2. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Make sure to break up the meat with a spoon so it gets fully cooked. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, brown sugar, and some salt and pepper. Mix and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add broth and beans. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and then turn down to low (still simmering). Cook (stirring every few minutes) for 30 minutes until thickened. Serve with avocado.