Slow Cooker Beanless Chili

It has been awhile since I did a recipe post. With the weather getting cooler I’m all about using the slow cooker to make tasty chili, soups and stews.  I made this beanless chili this past Sunday evening when my mom came over for dinner.  I enjoy chili but I’m not a fan of beans, so this chili was perfect.  This recipe does require about 20-30 minutes of prep before putting it in the slow cooker.  If your house is as crazy as ours is in the morning, you may not have time to prep this before heading off to work.  However, it makes a great weekend meal.  I prepped this in the morning and we were able to do errands throughout the day, without having to worry about what was for dinner.  This was a winner with the family and the leftovers provided lunch for us the next day.  If you want to add a little heat and spice to the recipe you can add jalapeno or poblano peppers (when sautéing the onion and garlic) and/or cayenne pepper (when adding the spices).  I served our chili over rice with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese, but feel free to add any other garnishes your family enjoys!

Slow Cooker Beanless Chili
Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 bay leaves
2 cups rice, cooked
sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese for serving

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Once heated add the olive oil.  Add the onion, sautéing for approximately five minutes until translucent.  Stir in the garlic cooking for a minute.  Add the ground turkey to the skillet, breaking up into crumbles.  Brown the ground turkey for approximately 10 minutes.  Once browned add the chili powder, paprika, cumin and salt, mixing to combine.  Cook for two minutes and then remove the skillet from the heat.

Pour the ground turkey mixture into the bowl of the slow cooker.  Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, maple syrup and bay leaves to the slow cooker, stirring to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.   When finished cooking, if chili is too thick, add another 1/2 to one cup of chicken broth.

Remove the bay leaves from the chili.  Spoon rice into a bowl.  Ladle the chili on top of the rice and serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.