Game Day Food...Featuring Hatch Chile-Cannellini Bean Turkey Chili #gamedayfood #footballfood #chili #healthieroptions

Watching the Super Bowl this Sunday means lots of fun commercials...and plenty of tasty game day food! With my healthier lifestyle, I plan to serve tasty food that's healthy AND delicious. My Hatch Chile-Cannellini Bean Turkey Chili definitely meets both requirements! Chili is a perfect food to feed a group of hungry football fans. If you've never tasted them, Cannellini beans are a white bean that's fat free...but high in protein, fiber, and iron. They have a firm, creamy texture...and a mellow, nutty flavor. Because they hold their shape better than other white bean varieties, Cannellini beans are ideal for adding to soups and chili. Texans don't typically put beans in our chili...and I totally agree with that rule! However, I don't consider this chili to be traditional Texas-style -- so I'm making an exception to my usual "no bean in chili" rule. This chili has a secret ingredient: a bit of yellow cornmeal added at the end of the cook time to slightly thicken the chili. This chili takes about 30 minutes to prep, then it simmers away on the stove. If you start this chili an hour or so before kickoff, it will smell divine...and be ready to serve...by halftime! 

Hatch Chile-Cannellini Bean Turkey Chili
a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes 6-8 bowls of chili):

• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 2-3 cloves grated or finely minced garlic
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 lb. 97% lean ground turkey breast
• 1 tsp. salt & pepper
• 1 TBS chili powder
• 1 TBS cumin
• 1 cup dry cannellini beans [NOTE: to reduce cooking time by 1 hour, pre-soak beans for 6 hours before cooking chili]
• 3-oz can diced Hatch green chiles
• 14-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 48 oz low sodium chicken stock
• 2 TBS fine yellow cornmeal
• For topping: pico de gallo, shredded lowfat cheddar, diced avocado, tortilla strips/chips, and 0% plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

Step 1: Add the olive oil to a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and brown, breaking into crumbles. Season with the salt & pepper. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Stir to combine, then cook mixture until onion and celery are softened – about 5 minutes...stirring every minute or two.

Step 2: Add cumin and chili powder to the turkey mixture, then stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes to “bloom” the spices. Next, add the Hatch chiles and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine all ingredients, then add the chicken stock. Bring the chili to a boil.

Step 3: Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2.5 hours. Give the chili a stir every 30 minutes. After 2.5 hours, add cornmeal to the chili. Give the mixture a good stir to combine. Cook until chili thickens slightly -- 5-10 minutes. To serve, ladle chili into deep serving bowls. Set out containers of toppings, and let each person choose their favorite ingredients.

This chili is guaranteed to be a huge hit! It’s moderately spicy from the Hatch green chiles, but adding creamy avocado and Greek yogurt cools things off nicely. The cooked cannellini beans hold their shape nicely and are perfectly creamy. In a time crunch? You can also make this chili in a slow cooker. Soak the Cannellini beans overnight, then slow cook on High for about 2.5 hours. If you have any leftovers, this chili also reheats beautifully in the microwave.