Turkey and Salsa Chili

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey
3 bacon slices, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned), chopped
Note: freeze remaining chipotle peppers and sauce to use later
1 tsp each chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder
1 15-oz. can each pinto beans, white beans, and chili beans
1 jar Robert Rothschild Raspberry Salsa
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup Latah Creek Malbec

Directions

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown turkey until cooked through and pour into crockpot.

In the same skillet, cook bacon until browned, but not crispy. Be careful to not overcook! Add to crockpot with turkey.

Sauté onions in bacon grease until slightly golden and soft, then add chipotle peppers and dry spices and mix well. Sauté for 3 more minutes.

Pour onion mixture into crockpot, along with all beans and their liquid, salsa, chicken stock, and wine. Note: I pour the wine into the salsa jar and swirled it around to get any remaining salsa out of the jar. Then I poured it all into the crockpot.

Thoroughly mix. Cook on low heat for 3 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I did not find it needed any salt since I used regular chicken stock, but if you use low-sodium chicken stock, you may need to add some salt. Serve with various toppings and enjoy!

Ellena's Notes

We love this chili! We have made it several times using different types of beans just to change up the flavor, or used beef instead of turkey. But if you use beef, make sure to drain the fat off before pouring it into the crockpot. We've also drained the beans before adding them to the crockpot and served the now thicker chili as sloppy joes. And we always serve it with a side of cornbread, one of my grandchildren's favorite food!

Suggested toppings: monterey jack cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and diced onions.

This chili pairs wonderfully with our Malbec, but also try our Rosé of Malbec for a white/blush.