Today is Sunday, around here that means Jesus and football! One of my favorite things about heading into September is the start of football season. We are still big Green Bay Packer fans even though we made the move to Illinois. Unfortunately we get hit with a network blackout and miss the Wisconsin game. But that’s besides the point. It’s more than just watching football on the big screen. I love spending time with friends and family, munching on tasty dips and football fare, and even sipping on a loaded Bloody Mary. Everything in moderation of course!
While I enjoy all of these other aspects of game day, I DO NOT want to be slaving away in the kitchen instead of enjoying time with my friends and family. I would rather have my butt in front of the TV with an appetizer plate in hand. But without food, there is no appetizer plate and what is a football party without food, am I right?! A popular gameday recipe in our house is chili. If you want some other easy appetizer ideas, you can check out my posts here and here. Over the years I’ve tweaked my recipe to make it more convenient, eventually leading to this slow cooker version. I love my slow cooker, you can get it here.
Life happens, so easy is a must. I won’t lie, sometimes I get really lazy and fudge the instructions a bit. I mean REALLY lazy. Like “skip browing the turkey and onions and just dump it all in” kind of lazy. Disclaimer: I absolutely do not recommend that version! You will not get perfect results, but I mean if your in a pinch, it works. Just take the 10 minutes and brown your turkey people! Don’t be like lazy Stephanie. Happy game day all!
Chipotle Turkey and Sweet Potato Crockpot Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 large can (46oz) tomato juice
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 15 oz cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
- Optional Toppings: cilantro, shredded cheddar, sour cream, lime wedges, or avocado
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In a large fry pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and ground turkey, breaking up turkey with a spatula or spoon. Continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through and onions are translucent. Drain excess grease.
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Transfer turkey and onions into a slowcooker. Add sweet potatoes, green pepper, sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
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Cover and heat on low for 6-8 hour or until sweet potatoes are tender.
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Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker, cooking for an additional 30 minutes or until warm. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with optional toppings if desired.
