Slow Cooker Smoky Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili {with Cornbread Croutons}

The forecast is for chili weather and I’ve been looking for new recipes. I found one for Smoky Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili that I could make in my slow cooker in my January issue of Southern Living magazine which appealed to me for two reasons:

1. I made a new year’s resolution to blow the dust off my slow cooker and use it at least once a month.

2. My name is Mary and I’m a potato-holic :)

This is a keeper recipe and a nice change from traditional chili! The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add some smoky flavor and a little kick and the sweet potatoes help balance the heat. You can adjust the spice in this chili with the amount of chipotle to suit your taste. This recipe calls for a combination of dried pinto beans and lima beans, which add a little Southern flavor. I was able to find the larger size dried limas for this recipe, but if you’re not a fan of pintos or limas, use white beans, kidney or even black beans, which would be good as well as pretty with the color of the sweet potatoes.

I made just a few minor changes to the recipe, adjusting the amount of beer called for (it was either add the whole bottle or drink what was left :) using a reduced sodium chicken stock instead of unsalted, and adding more tomato paste. I’m a fan of Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock, which has great flavor and is lower in sodium than most reduced sodium brands of chicken stock or broth.

 Slow Cooker Smoky Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Cornbread Croutons, adapted from Southern Living Magazine

Makes about 4 1/2 qt.

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can or bottle (12 fl.oz) Mexican beer
1 cup dried pinto beans
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (more or less to taste)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-size green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 (8-oz.) package dried lima beans
l large onion, coarsely chopped
5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch peeled sweet potato cubes

Garnishes: green onions, cilantro, Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, sliced peppers, sour cream or cornbread croutons

Directions

 Season turkey with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté turkey in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer mixture to a 6-qt. slow cooker.

 Add tomato paste to skillet, and cook stirring often, 30 seconds. Add beer, and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet. Boil 3 – 5 minutes; stir into turkey mixture. Add beans and next 8 ingredients; stir in stock.

Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours. Stir in sweet potatoes; cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

We’ve been on a cornbread crouton kick lately, adding them to salads and soup. They’re an unexpected and tasty addition from a 50 cent box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.

Follow the directions on the Jiffy box for mixing and bake in a 9 x 9 pan until done, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool and cut cornbread into 1-inch squares. Bake croutons at 350 degrees for 7 or 8 minutes or until toasted.

Top your chili with green onions, cilantro, Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, sliced peppers, sour cream and / or cornbread croutons.

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Smoky Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Cornbread Croutons

Your slow cooker does all the work in this keeper recipe that's a nice change from traditional chili. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add some smoky flavor and a little kick while the sweet potatoes help balance the heat. Make this recipe with the beans of your choice: lima, kidney, white or black beans. Cornbread croutons are a tasty addition and easy to whip up from a 50 cent box of Jiffy corn muffin mix to top your bowl!

Makes about 4 1/2 quarts or 10 - 12 servings

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time8 hours hrs

Total Time8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Chili, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili, chipotle peppers in adobo, cornbread croutons, lima beans, pinto beans, sweet potatoes, turkey

Servings: 10

Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 12 oz. can or bottle of Mexican beer
• 1 cup dried pinto beans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce more or less to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium-size green bell peppers coarsely chopped
• 1 8 oz. package dried lima beans
• l large onion coarsely chopped
• 5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch peeled sweet potato cubes

Cornbread Croutons:

• 8.5 oz. box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup of milk

Instructions

To make chili:

• Season turkey with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté turkey in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until browned.
• Transfer mixture to a 6-qt. slow cooker.
• Add tomato paste to skillet, and cook stirring often, 30 seconds. Add beer, and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet.
• Boil 3 – 5 minutes; stir into turkey mixture. Add beans and next 8 ingredients; stir in stock.
• Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours.
• Stir in sweet potatoes; cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.
• Serve soup with sliced green onions, cilantro, grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeno peppers, sour cream and/ or cornbread croutons

To make cornbread croutons:

• Follow the directions on the Jiffy box for mixing. Pour batter into greased 9 x 9-inch pan and bake at 400 degrees or until done, about 15 minutes.
• Allow to cool and cut cornbread into 1-inch squares. Spread squares out on parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake croutons at 350 degrees for 7 or 8 minutes or until toasted and brown. Allow to cool. Store in airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

• This recipe calls for a combination of dried pinto beans and lima beans, which add a little Southern flavor. I was able to find the larger size dried limas for this recipe, but if you’re not a fan of pintos or limas, use white beans, kidney or black beans.

Find more Warming Soups for Winter, HERE.

You’ll find recipes for chili and soup with hearty ingredients like Italian sausage, potatoes and pasta to flavorful veggies that pack some nutrition like butternut squash, kale and spinach.

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