Chile Chili when it's Chilly!

Oh Texas weather, you are so weird. We were in the 70's and then all of a sudden it was 54 outside! Time for chili, I say!!

I found this yummy recipe from the food network - I still can't quite tell why it's called California Chili, but it is delish, and super easy!!  I feel like there are at least 6 servings, but had we made something like cornbread as a side, we could expand it to 8.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and chopped
2 large poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed ** we did not have Mexican oregano so I used Italian seasoning as it's what we had on hand! I later read that regular oregano is just stronger than Mexican, so use less, but mine still tasted fine after that little hiccup!
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups chicken broth
One 15 to 16-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
Toppings (red onion, shredded cheddar, sour cream, etc.)

How To

Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Chop up the garlic, poblanos, celery, and onions and add those to the oil. Saute until they are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the turkey and saute until no longer pink, breaking up the turkey as you go, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to blend. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to blend. Add the broth and beans. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors blend and the chili thickens to desired consistency, stirring often, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper.

The recipe actually calls for a quinoa and pine nut pilaf, but we skipped that part! That likely saved us time as it took no more than an hour for the whole lot.

Website Note: Other garnishes that you could offer: chopped radishes, pickled jalapenos, crumbled cotija cheese, tortilla chips and/or pico de gallo. (Dang, those sound good, I'll try them next time!!)