Forget the Beans Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili

Forget the Beans Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili

by Cherise Mazur

Huh?!  No bean chili?  Yes, you read that right! For the month of January a group of awesome ladies and myself have embarked on the Whole 30 challenge!  For those of you not familiar with the Whole 30 way of eating, it is an elimination diet to take out certain foods that may trigger internal issues that you might be exhibiting and not even realize!  Think bloating, inflammation, gastro issues….the list goes on my friends!  The biggest culprits that are eliminated right away are dairy, grains, sugar, beans and alcohol (that includes peanut butter as that is a legume…this was a tough one for me…but almond butter gets the green light..phew!!)

I know what you must be thinking…no way!!  These are all my favorite things!  I get it….me too!  But I wanted to reset my diet especially after the holidays where it was sugar palooza!!  I found a bunch of ladies who were interested in it as well and it is always better when you have support and motivation! I read through the Whole 30 book, learned why we need gain a healthier relationship with food and picked several recipes to try out.

With the cooler months upon us here in Jersey I am always looking for a one pot meal that is tasty and warm like soup or chili.  When I came across this no bean turkey and sweet potato chili it was like hitting the jackpot!  Super simple with minimal ingredients that I was able to whip up after work and there was enough leftovers for the next night too! Score! 

Just look at that yumminess! (Sorry I don’t have more pics, we all enjoyed it right away!)  The sweet potatoes made it tasty and filling and I didn’t even miss the beans!  Tip – you could cut up the sweet potatoes and onion on your prep day or the day before and keep them in an air tight container in the fridge to save some time.  But honestly, while the turkey was browning is when I cut up the sweet potato & onion so really not much time as wasted. 

If you prefer to use tomatoes with green chilis for a bit of a kick you can use that as well.  Also, you can add more spices to increase the heat if you like it real spicy!  We like it spicy but not too crazy – that is why I stuck with regular chopped tomatoes. 

You can pair this with my paleo style corn bread….because chili and corn bread go hand in hand and you need something to sop of all the goodness at the bottom! 

Beanless Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili
Recipe here

No beans about this turkey chili - the sweet potatoes are the star of this show!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic lean ground turkey

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 3 garlic cloves chopped

• 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup water

• Salt to taste

• ½ tsp cumin (or more to taste)

• ¼ tsp chili pepper (or more to taste)

• ½ tsp paprika (or more to taste)

• 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced small

• cilantro to garnish (fresh is possible)

Instructions:

1 Place a large skillet over medium/high heat adding the turkey and breaking it up into smaller pieces.

2 Season with salt & cumin.

3 When cooked through add onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes.

4 Add in tomatoes, sweet potato, water, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and salt.

5 Cover and let simmer over low heat until potatoes are soft about 25-30 minutes

6 If too thick add more water to liking.

7 Enjoy!

Enjoy!

xo-cherise

(adapted from skinnytaste.com)