One of my favorite recipes my mom used to make for me as a kid was her chili recipe, and although I have made some modifications to it depending on my mood… I still have to give credit where credit is deserved! Her recipe only used kidney beans and we all know I can’t live without the addition of black beans to everything… {thank you pregnancy}, so I used kidney beans and black beans for this recipe. This time around I also experimented with chopped zucchini and torn spinach to try and sneak in some extra veggies for the kid…. and she still loved it. Recipe is definitely goin’ on repeat. Enjoy!
What you will need:
*{for a vegetarian option just omit the turkey or replace with tofurky or tofu… still tastes amazing!}
One Pound of Lean Ground Turkey {or beef if you prefer}
1- 16 oz. Can of Kidney Beans
2- 16 oz. Cans of Black Beans
2- 16 oz. Cans of Chopped tomatoes and Green Chilis {I use fresh sometimes as well… but for this recipe.. canned makes it fast and easy}
2 Small Zuchini {finely chopped}
1 Cup of Fresh Spinach {torn or finely chopped}
1 Packet of Chili Seasoning… or get creative and make your own!
1 T. Minced Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste
*If you like it hot… which I do of course, feel free to add cayenne pepper or chopped jalapeño peppers to taste, and I sometimes add spicy salsa too!
Get Cookin’-
Brown the ground turkey. In a separate sauté pan add 1/4 C. water and turn on high, add zucchini stir for a few minutes until tender, add spinach and mix, remove from heat. When the meat is done, add chili seasoning and garlic, mix well. Pour the cans of kidney beans, black beans, and tomatoes and chilis in with the meat {transfer all of it to a larger pot if you need to}. Stir well. Add veggies from other pan and mix. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, on medium to low heat…. just enough to get very small bubbles going in the sauce…. This helps the seasonings get into the veggies. If you needed to eat it before this step, it still tastes amazing! Viola! The perfect veggie chili recipe for you and your little ones!