The phrase “One pot meal” was searched on Google over 2 million times this past month! Everyone loves a one pot meal because, by nature, they’re typically so easy to prepare and oh so convenient. I chose to use turkey for this dish since due to the warmer weather being here, turkey makes for a lighter tasting chili but you can, of course, use beef if you like. Given that, and even though I did use turkey, there’s no skimping on flavor here. This chili is just as rich and delicious as beef chili due to my use of that secret and magical ingredient I previously mentioned.
Turkey chili secret ingredient
Dark Belgian beer. Oh yes! This is Gulden Draak (Dutch for Golden Dragon) and it’s one helluva beer. It’s a true Belgian ale that’s sweet, rich and, thanks to my husband’s suggestion, the perfect flavor enhancer for this chili. This is a healthy turkey chili, but if you want to make it even more healthy, you can omit the beer and replace with more beef stock. Its complex flavors add such a depth and darkness to the chili, you really don’t know there’s turkey and not beef. If you want to leave out the beer, just replace the same amount with extra beef stock, but you won’t get the same flavor. I was not paid to feature the beer or provided with the product, I am just a huge fan of Gulden Draak and it happens to be one of my true favorites.
Chili toppings are endless
I like to keep it simple when it comes to the toppings. Of course, cheese is a must! A good, sharp white Vermont cheddar is what I prefer and to add freshness, a bit of chopped cilantro will do just fine.
The toppings are a personal choice, so you can add just about anything your little heart desires. Jalapeños, onion, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sour cream and more.
I’ll leave you with this parting thought: When you’re eating this chili and thinking how good it is, just think about how good it’s going to be tomorrow because leftovers are always better and I have a great leftover recipe, chili polenta skillet pies (picture above). They are so easy and quick to make.
You can also use amber beer. If you don’t want to use beer, substitute same amount of beef stock.
To make the chili spicy, add your favorite hot sauce to taste.
