Chili Contest Winner Announced!

Back in August, when I was all sorts of excited for college football, I am so glad the idea of a chili challenge came to mind. What a blast! Mr. Prevention and I re-sampled each entry which we had stored away in the freezer, and determined the winner.

Thank you to all who submitted chili recipes, they were truly all wonderful!

However, there can only be one winner!

And the winner of the best chili is…Stacey of The Art of Living!

Turkey and Black Bean Chili from The Art of Living

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground skinless turkey
2 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 (14 ½ oz) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2-3 Tbsp regular chili powder
Ancho chili powder, to taste (about 1 tsp)
Chipotle chili powder, to taste (about 1 tsp)
1-1 ½ Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp salt
2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 Tbsp per serving)
fat free low-fat sour cream (1 Tbsp per serving)
sliced scallions, if desired

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve with the cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Serves 6 with cheese, sour cream, and scallions.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 406 calories; 13.8 g. fat; 79 mg. cholesterol; 1056 mg. sodium*; 43 g. carbohydrate; 10 g. sugar; 14.5 g. fiber; 32.8 g. protein

*Rinsing and draining canned beans eliminates ~41% of the sodium

In week 5 of the college football season, I made Stacey’s chili. Two girlfriends of mine were in town that weekend and they both gobbled it up. One of those friends happens to be the poster child for the anti-vegetable movement ;), so I think that is quite the compliment to this recipe. I also love that the chili meat was ground turkey because it is exceptionally low in calories and fat. The fiber content was also higher than most other chili recipes at nearly 15 grams per serving! 😀

In a close second was a most unique chili that blended chili and Italian soup called Six Pack Pepper Chili from Our Italian Kitchen. Delicious!

I recommend both of these recipes to wow a chili-loving crowd!

Thank you to all who participated! I hope to do this again next year, and hopefully my Fighting Illini can pull out a winning season…!

Chili love,