Football Friday: Turkey Chili

There are those magical Sundays when you have nothing to do all day; and you can spend the afternoon in the kitchen preparing a leasurely meal for your family to enjoy. And then there's almost every other Sunday; when you have a hungry family, and you need to get food on the table RIGHT THIS SECOND before the troops get too restless. For those Sundays, we give you our quick and easy turkey chili recipe! 

30 Minute Ancho Turkey Chili
Recipe modified from: http://pinchofyum.com/30-minute-spicy-ancho-turkey-chili

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ red onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 jalapeños, minced (remove ribs and seeds if you don't want it to be spicy)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salsa (works best with a "fresh" salsa brand like Salsa Lisa)
2 14-ounce cans crushed fire roasted tomatoes

1 1/2 cups tomato juice
toppings (sour cream, cheese, green onions, tortilla chips)

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the chicken broth and 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the quinoa, cover the pot, and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until all liquid is evaporated.
While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeños and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning the garlic. 

Add the turkey and cook until all the meat is browned and broken apart into "crumbles". Add the black beans, ancho chili powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and salsa and simmer for a few minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and however much of the remaining 2 cups water that you feel like you need to get the right consistency. Simmer for a few minutes while the quinoa finishes cooking in a separate pot.

Add the cooked quinoa to the pot of chili, and stir to combine. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions, and tortilla chips.

The night we made this chili was another frantic night in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen that involved homework, Tae Kwon Do lessons and 2 wet and muddy dogs. As soon as the chili finished cooking, we removed it from the heat and let it sit covered on the stove in the cast iron Dutch Oven. It stayed warm for two hours, and allowed the flavors to meld together. If you have the chance to do this, we recommend it. Otherwise the chili is delicious right out of the pot as well.

And now, time for some football predictions! Tristan is still in the lead with 4 more correct picks than Sawyer, putting him at 48 correct picks so far this season. Here are our week 11 predictions

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
Tristan: Jaguars
Sawyer: Jaguars

Denver vs. Chicago
Tristan: Broncos
Sawyer: Broncos

Oakland vs. Detroit
Tristan: Lions
Sawyer: Lions

Indy vs. Atlanta
Tristan: Falcons
Sawyer: Falcons

NYJ vs. Houston
Tristan: Texans
Sawyer: Texans

Tampa Bay vs. Philly
Tristan: Eagles
Sawyer: Eagles

Washington vs. Carolina
Tristan: Panthers
Sawyer: Panthers

Dallas vs. Miami
Tristan: Dolphins
Sawyer: Dolphins

St Louis vs. Baltimore
Tristan: Rams
Sawyer: Rams

Kansas City vs. San Diego
Tristan: Chargers
Sawyer: Chargers

Green Bay vs. Minnesota
Tristan: Packers
Sawyer: Packers, baby. 

San Francisco vs. Seattle
Tristan: Seahawks
Sawyer: 49ers

Cincinnati vs. Arizona
Tristan: Cardinals
Sawyer: Cardinals

Buffalo vs. New England
Tristan: Bills
Sawyer: Patriots

Hope everyone has a weekend full of family, football and fun!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew