Ah Thanksgiving leftovers. They seem like a bounty of riches at first, and then… I’ve gotten to the I’m-so-tired-of-turkey phase. Part of this is because most of the time I’m vegan, and I just don’t care much for meat anymore. However, my son is NOT vegan, and I didn’t want to mess with a holiday tradition for him, so we roasted a small turkey. But even a small turkey can result in a fairly large bag of leftover meat! What to do, what to do? I’d already made tetrazzini and enchiladas. I didn’t want it going to waste, or even lurking in my freezer, scolding me for not using it. I want to use up ALL of the rest of it!
Winter weather has a tendency to make me crave a warm bowl of soup, and my husband ALWAYS craves spicy. How ’bout a white chili, then? The Google provided me with lots of inspiration. Does anyone else resort to the interwebs for food inspiration? It’s like searching through ton of cookbooks with a click! The Pioneer Woman got me started and I improvised from there.
Grab your bag of leftover turkey and a crockpot and by the time you get home from work, Turkey White Chili will be waiting to warm your chilly self!
- 2-2 1/2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or chunked
- 1 can green enchilada sauce
- 4 cups or so chicken broth (I use No Chicken Broth)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 cans white beans
- 1 TBSP cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
- 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 2 TBSP masa harina
Saute onions in a bit of broth or butter if you’d rather. Saute until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add garlic and saute until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Chop or shred the turkey. I like to use a cutting board that can go into the dishwasher when cutting meat, even if it IS cooked.
Open one can of beans, drain and place into your crockpot. Mash them so you still have some pieces left.
Drain the other can of beans and add to the pot. Add turkey, onions and garlic, green chiles, enchilada sauce and spices.
Cover with broth, give it a stir, cover and set the cooker to low for 5-6 hours. Alternately, set to high for 2-3 hours.
Whisk masa harina–a corn flour–into the milk. If you can’t find masa harina, corn meal is ok. It helps thicken your chili and gives it a fabulous corn tortilla sort of flavor.
Add the milk mixture to the crockpot, set it to high and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Ladle it up in a pretty bowl and cut yourself a slice of crusty bread. Garnish with cilantro and avocado. Yum, yum, yummy!
Just the remedy for a cold and wintry day. Go ahead. Have seconds.
Winter is here to stay in Western Colorado. Not crazy about the cold, but it sure is pretty.
Alpenglow is the term used when the setting sun “warms” the nearby Grand Mesa. Especially pretty in the snow!