Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

I have a great friend, Jeff, who is very specific about what is and isn’t a chili. East Texas boys can be that way. If it has rice and beans included, you’re gonna get smacked in the head. Simply saying that this dish, made with turkey and sweet potato is a “chili”, will get you publicly called out on Facebook.

Regardless of where your personal chili policies fall, one thing is true…this is a damn tasty dish.

I stumbled across this recipe from SkinnyTaste.com while looking for easy and healthy things to make with sweet potatoes. Glad I did. It’s worth checking out more of her dishes.

This “chili” is wildly easy to make and the lion’s share of the time necessary to cook is spent watching this goodness simmering in a skillet. The recipe makes 5 servings but I can tell you the wife and I make sure there are no leftovers.

You have more questions and I have more answers:

Yes, the kids like this. Spice level is easily adjusted depending on whom you’re serving.
Yep, it’s gluten-free. Go nuts.
Paleo-friendly and CrossFit family approved.

Let’s get cooking!

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 35 minutes Total: 40 minutes

Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Points +: 6 pts • Smart Points: 5
Calories: 235 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 14 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 23 g • Sugar: 4 g
Cholesterol: 81 mg • Sodium: 578 mg (without salt)
*Nutrition supplied by Skinnytaste.com

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

20 oz 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can Rotel mild tomatoes with green chilies
8 oz can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
Kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 medium sweet potato
Fresh cilantro (optional)
Siggi’s yogurt in place of sour cream
Chopped green onion/chives

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prep

I really like to have everything ready to go, before I put food to flame, so I can focus on the cooking. Time management is something I’m working on. However, you can do a lot of the chopping while the turkey browns. That said, peal and chop your sweet potato (1/2 inch cubes), onion and garlic.

Turkey

Brown turkey over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add some Kosher salt and a little cumin.
After browning, don’t drain, add the onion and garlic and continue to cook for another 3 minutes over medium heat, while stirring.
Add the can of Rotel tomatoes, sweet potato, tomato sauce, water, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and bay leaf. Give it a good stir.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are soft and cooked through, about 25 minutes stirring occasionally.
If necessary, add 1/4 cup more water.

Serve