Tequila Lime Turkey Chili

It's officially October, which means a plethora of things for me! It's my favorite time of the year, greeting us with cool crisp mornings, where we get an excuse in AZ to wear scarfs and sweaters, I get to decorate my house for the first time since the last set of holidays ended, I can finally run outside, and this year I get to venture on 4 vacations before the New Year! Oh, you didn't think I forgot about the most important one did you? HALLOWEEN!!! It's no secret that I am uber-obsessed with the holiday. I personally like it more than Christmas, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I have had my decorations up for 2 weeks now. I had already pulled out the bins of decorations from the garage and dragged them into the house before looking up at my boyfriend and asking him if I could put them up. There was no saying no to that smile on my face! And last, but not least, it's time to break out the crock pot for just about every meal. This chili was so easy to assemble, it basically requires no work at all. The crock pot does almost all of the work for you. Now if only they made a crock pot that diced your onions for you... I might be on to something!

Tequila Lime Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, minced (remove the seeds and ribs for less heat)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 6 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes (such as Rotel with green chiles)
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tbsp. tequila
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• garnish: freshly chopped cilantro, shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese, lime wedges, tortilla chips, sour cream, diced avocado

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook until softened; 5-7 minutes. Add in the tomato paste, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for another 2 minutes until well combined and aromatic.

Add in the ground turkey, and as it cooks, break it up with a large wooden spoon, until browned and no more pink exists. Add in the tomato sauce and mix well.

Pour turkey mixture into a crock pot and stir in the diced tomatoes, pinto beans, chipotle, and tequila. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

When ready to serve, add in the lime juice and mix well. Place a large ladleful of the chili into a bowl and top with your garnishes of choice!