Cookbooks
By Dana Cowin
4.8
(6)
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Total Time
1 1/2 Hours
Chili is the beginning cook’s dream. The recipe is very forgiving, and even if you make a small mistake or two, you can still arrive at a delicious dish.
Ingredients
Serves 8
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey (you can substitute lean ground pork)
2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained, juices reserved,and chopped
4 cups diced butternut squash (See Note)
2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur or Lacinato kale), stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
12 large sage leaves, finely sliced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Put the olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium-high heat, add the onion, garlic, rosemary and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is just barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and toast for 30 seconds. Add the turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and quite browned and its moisture has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot, along with another big pinch of salt, increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes lose their tin-can taste, about 20 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in the squash, cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is just tender, about 20 minutes. Add the beans, kale and sage and cook, uncovered, until the kale is just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle the chili into bowls and top each portion with grated Parmesan.
Do Ahead
Step 4
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring often. It also freezes very well for up to 2 months.
Cooks' Note
Chili is forgiving. I learned just how true this is when I set out to make a big batch of a Mediterranean‑inspired chili. I couldn’t find ground dark‑meat turkey at the market, so I bought ground turkey breast. But when I took it out of the packaging, it was revoltingly mushy and I threw it out. Luckily, I had ground pork in my fridge (you can use either turkey or pork here). The recipe called for canned diced tomatoes, but I only had cans of whole tomatoes, so I used them. I hate peeling squash, so I’d bought peeled, cut butternut squash. Unfortunately, it was dried out, so instead of cooking in twenty minutes, it took upward of an hour.
After the squash was finally tender, I reached into the pantry for a can of white beans. What I found looked like mini versions of the cannellini beans the recipe called for. What the heck, I’d switched everything else, so I tossed them in with bravado. I served the chili to a group of friends, who all asked for seconds. But it taught me a big lesson: I should have planned better. If you’re prepared, you never have to depend on luck—or a forgiving recipe to get you through.
A small-to-medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) will yield 4 cups of diced (3/4-inch) squash. You can also find it already peeled and cubed in many produce sections, but make sure it’s fresh looking, not dried out. You can also substitute sweet potatoes, which are easier to peel and cut. The chili will be sweeter but still delicious.
From Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen © 2014 Dana Cowin. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
Reprinted with permission from HarperCollins.
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Reviews (6)
Back to TopTriangleWe loved this chili, which is why I'm giving it 4 forks. Unfortunately, it didn't agree with either my partner or I and we paid for the enjoyment for a couple days after eating. So, even though I loved it, I won't make it again. Too bad.
nancystarr
Canada
2/10/2020
I made this true to the recipe (with dark turkey meat) and it was really bland. Had to add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, pepper, much more salt, and the juice of one lemon to give it flavor. I also cubed my butternut squash pretty small and it still took much longer to cook than the recipe called for, so would suggest adding the squash shortly after the tomatoes.
slstia
Washington, DC
10/22/2019
This pleased a large group with varied tastes. I followed the recipe almost exactly but did add a parmesan rind during the second half of cooking, plus I kept it in a very low oven for a couple of hours before dinner, so the squash somewhat disintegrated. (That was a blessing for the picky eaters who think they don't like butternut squash.) Next time I'd like to add some zucchini too.
Anonymous
California
3/18/2018
Yum!!!!!! Followed fellow reviewers advice to add some cumin and cinnamon. Great suggestion thank you!! Party pleaser. Used ground pork.
Anonymous
Philadelphia
4/9/2017
We love this recipe. I do kick up the flavor a notch by adding cumin, chili powder and cinamon. The great thing is I can add whatever veggies I have around too - added some fennel and carrots.
ma23
Chicago
1/21/2017
A repeat favorite
TML
Boston
3/11/2023
TagsChiliStewSoup/StewAmericanGround TurkeyTurkeyPoultryCanned TomatoTomatoVegetableCannellini BeanWhite BeanBean and LegumeKaleLeafy GreensButternut SquashSquashMainDinnerGluten FreeNut FreeEasyOne-Pot MealsSimmerCookbooksHarper Collins
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