High of 71 degrees today, oh thank the lords! I am a giant grump in the heat and I am thrilled to have perfectly warm days and cool nights! One of my very favorite, if not absolute favorite, warm the belly comfort foods is easily chili!  My favorite way to eat it… get ready for this… oh and don’t dismiss me as a crazy loon for it…. but I serve my chili over SPAGHETTI with a heaping pile of shredded cheddar on top!!! I saw one of those traveling shows on Food Network and this place did just chili and served it over pasta, my thought immediately was YUM! Maybe you’re thinking, Yup this chick is off her rocker, but seriously don’t knock it till ya try it! Just think of it as a whole new version of bolognese!

My chili is chock full of veggies and in this recipe I used ground turkey instead of beef, and trust me you won’t miss it! This chili is super flavorful but very basic and so simple to make! Its got a good kick to it but not overly spicy… you can certainly add more cayenne if you want to kick up the heat.

4 bell peppers, assorted colors, diced

2 onions, diced

5 celery stalks, diced

5 carrots, cut into rounds

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

3 cans fire roasted tomatoes

3 Tbsp dried oregano

3 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp cumin

6 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 Tbsp olive oil

I’ve emphasized it before but i’ll say it again, it makes life a whole lot easier when you have everything prepped and ready to go. So start out my cutting all your veggies. Oh, look at those gorgeous colors!

In a large pot, I always use my large oval Le Creuset, add the olive oil and the ground turkey. I use a potato masher to help break up the meat.

Once the meat is cooked most of the way through add all the veggies to the pot and cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes

Add the oregano, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne and salt and pepper. Stir until well covered and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add in the canned fire roasted tomatoes. I use Muir Glen, this is also the only brand i’ve seen to make this and trust me the flavor is fabulous!!!!

Simmer the chili covered for  1 1/2 hours. Then remove the lid and simmer another 30 minutes. The flavors concentrate wonderfully and penetrate everything in the chili! Serve in a giant bowl with a piece of cornbread or go ahead, be crazy and try it over pasta!