Slow Cooker Italian Turkey Chili
All the components of traditional turkey chili, but with Italian flair. It’s an easy dinner the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ½ pound Italian turkey sausage casing removed
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 15-ounce cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups of water
- 1 parmesan cheese rind optional, but recommended
- Toppings: ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped flat leaf parsley and basil
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Swirl the oil around the bottom of the skillet, then sauté the onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add in the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Add in the ground turkey and turkey sausage and season with a little more salt and pepper. Crumble the turkey and cook until it's browned and mostly cooked through. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir everything together. Cover with the lid and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. When the chili is done, remove the parmesan cheese rind and discard (if you chose to include). Serve the chili topped with shredded mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and chopped flat leaf parsley or basil.
Notes
- If you can't find cannellini beans, replace with great northern beans.
- To get the ricotta smooth and creamy like I did in the photos, stick it in a food processor or high-speed blender with a splash of milk and purée until smooth.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!