Rich & Creamy White Turkey Chili

 

One of my favorite parts of any turkey dinner has been using up the leftovers. As a family we always enjoy a repeat of the dinner itself, with all of the trimmings the next day, but after that our interest wanes slightly in a further repeat.

That is when you need to get inventive.  The sky is the limit. There is really no need to serve boring turkey leftovers!

 

One thing which my family always loved for me to make them after the holiday dinner was Turkey Enchiladas. You can find a recipe for my Green Chili Turkey Enchiladas here. 

They are excellent although the ones I always made my children were red enchiladas and it was so simple to make them. I can't believe that I don't have a recipe on here for them. 

 

It was an idea I got from an old Sunset Magazine many moons ago.  They were pretty standard in our home after Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners!

The filling was really simple. You just sautéed a medium sized chopped onion and a clove of garlic in a tiny bit of oil and then added a can of chopped green chilis undrained and a large tin of chopped tomatoes, and about 3 to 4 cups of leftover chopped cooked turkey.  Seasoned with some salt and pepper, that got simmered for about  half an hour.

 

I used 8 inch round flour tortillas. I used to make my own and I would divide the sauce between about 10 of those, rolling them up. I always tried to leave a bit of sauce to spoon over top at the end.

The rolled tortillas got placed into a roasting/lasagna tin and I would spoon the remaining sauce over top and sprinkle lots of cheese over everything.

 

I covered the dish with tinfoil and baked them for about half an hour or so at about 350*F/180*C, uncovered and baked for about 15 minutes longer.

Oh boy but they were some good, served hot with some sour cream spooned over top and a sprinkle of chopped spring onion.  My children loved them.

 

I never did make this recipe I am sharing with you today for them, but I am betting they would have loved this turkey chili recipe.

I used to make a vegetarian chili that they really liked, but I am sure they would have really enjoyed this rich and creamy white turkey chili even more!  The appeal of it would have been heightened knowing it was only available twice a year!

 

This easy chili is creamy, rich, hearty and a tad bit spicy. You can adjust the spice according to how many green chilis you choose to add. I always like to add the whole can for 3 servings and if I double it well then, I add two!

If you can't get cans of roasted green chilis (and I couldn't in the UK) then you can roast a couple of green chilis in a hot oven and then peel and chop them. Alternately you can just trim and chop a couple of fresh green chilis and add them with the onion at the beginning!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RICH & CREAMY WHITE TURKEY CHILI

Its very simple really.  I bet you most likely have everything you need in the kitchen right now! 

• onions
• garlic
• chicken stock/broth
• chopped green chilis
• fresh coriander/cilantro
• dried cumin and oregano
• cooked turkey meat
• tinned cannellini beans
• evaporated milk (NOT to be confused with sweetened condensed milk)
• cornstarch (corn flour)
• salt and pepper

As you can see really simple ingredients altogether.

 

If you haven't got evaporated milk you can use half and half or cream, but it will be a lot richer.  I always keep tins of evaporated milk in my larder and often use it to replace cream in recipes.

You get the same amount of creaminess with way less fat and calories.  I try to cut those back when and as I can!

 

HOW TO MAKE RICH & CREAMY WHITE TURKEY CHILI

Nothing could be easier or quicker to make for a midweek supper than this delicious chili! You begin by heating a small amount of oil in a saucepan.  To this you add the onions and saute them just until they are softened.

You do not want them to color, just soften. The goal is to keep this rich soup/stew as white as possible.  Once they have softened you can add your garlic. Again, don't color it, just soften it. You will know it is right when you can really smell that garlic fragrance. It doesn't take long!

 

Once you have softened the onions and garlic it is time to add your stock or broth, all of your herbs and seasonings, along with your canned green chilis. Of course if you haven't been able to procure the canned ones and need to use the fresh, you should add them with the onions.

For the broth I always use the Knorr gel stock pots.  You can get them in chicken, beef or vegetable . They taste really good and are very convenient to have on hand.  A stock concentrate, you just mix them with boiling water and reconstitute them.

 

You cook all of this for about 10 minutes to meld all the flavors and then you add the turkey and the beans, heating them through.

The evaporated milk lends the rich creaminess to this chili.  Some of that gets mixed with a bit of cornstarch to be used as a thickener, which you stir into the chili and then you just add the rest.  I like to cook it for a further 5 to 10 minutes just to make sure you have cooked all the taste of the cornstarch out.

And your done!  A quick taste to see if it needs any more seasoning and Bob's your uncle!  This delicious rich and cream white turkey chili is finished.

You can of course enjoy it just as it is with cornbread or crackers or both, but I like to serve it with some rice and grated cheese, which makes it just that tiny bit more substantial.   I can promise you ain't nobody going to be complaining about these leftovers!!
 

Rich & Creamy White Turkey Chili

Yield: 3-4

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Leftovers never tasted so good. Thick, creamy and delicious. If you don't have leftover cooked turkey, feel free to use cooked chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 TBS canola oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups (600ml) chicken broth
• 1 can of chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1 TBS fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)
• 1/2 TBS ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 pound (about 2 cups) chopped cooked turkey meat
• 1 1/2 cups (345g)cooked cannellini beans
• about 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup of evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 TBS cornstarch
• salt and black pepper to taste

Suggested accompaniments:

• Cooked rice
• grated cheddar or Jack cheese
• chopped spring onions/scallions

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the onion and sauté until softened without coloring over medium heat. 
2. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant and then add the stock, green chilies, cilantro, cumin and oregano. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes to allow the flavors to melt.
3. Add the turkey, corn, and the beans.  Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
4. Whisk together 1/4 cup (60ml) of the evaporated milk and the cornstarch until smooth. Stir this mixture into the chili.  Add the remaining milk and stir to blend in well.  Cook for about 5 minutes bringing everything just to the boil. 
5. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.  Serve not with your favorite accompaniments.

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