Turkey, black bean & sweet potato chili

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 md yellow onions, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 whole fresh jalapenos, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp dried oregano
2-2.5 tbsp chili powder
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
1.5 lb ground turkey (extra lean)
2 28oz tins of diced tomatoes w/ juices
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2-3 cups of black beans (cooked) (use cans or pre-cooked beans)
1 tin corn niblets

Grated cheese, chopped cilantro and diced avocado to serve.

Procedure

1. Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large (6qt) dutch oven or cast iron pot. Saute onion over med-low heat for 5 mins to soften. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for 5 mins.
2. Add cumin, oregano, chili powder and pepper. Stir and saute for 2-3 mins. The pot will seem really dry at this point, but it’s ok. We’ll fix that in a minute.
3. Add tomato paste and stir, then toss in uncooked ground turkey.  Stir occasionally until turkey is cooked through. This can take 10-15 mins on med-low.
4. Add one and a half tins of diced tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil, then lower to simmering. Let this simmer for 5-10 mins.
5. Add the diced sweet potatoes and stir to combine. When this comes back to a simmer, cover and let cook over low heat until the sweet potatoes are almost cooked through (20-25 mins).
6. Add beans and corn, stir to combine, then let simmer for another 10-15 mins over low. Add the rest of the tomatoes if it seems too dry.

At this point the chili is done, but it will sit indefinitely.  Eventually the sweet potatoes will disintegrate, but that’s no big deal.

Serve with crusty bread & butter, top with cheese, fresh cilantro, and some diced avocado.

This isn’t super hot (unless you’ve used a hot chili powder), so feel free to add hot sauces or whatever if you like.