Buffalo Turkey Chili with Avocado Ranch Sauce

Perfect for sports night, movie night or game night, this Buffalo Turkey Chili is spicy with the flavors of a restaurant favorite! It’s a welcome variation from regular tomato based chili. The Avocado Ranch Coulis tones down the heat!

Avocado Ranch Sauce

For the Avocado Ranch Sauce: Puree one peeled pitted avocado in the blender with one teaspoon each of garlic powder and salt, one tablespoon each of fresh parsley and chives, the juice of one half of a lime, and one cup of nonfat or lowfat buttermilk.

If you’re making the chili for a crowd start out on the low end of the heat scale and provide hot sauce so each person can customize it. Feel free to use your own favorite hot sauce, or make your own. I made my own with late summer peppers and froze it in small jars so I can use it as needed throughout the winter. You can find that recipe here: Hot Sauce

Pureed peppers form the base for this tomato-less chili

For the Chili:

Saute: ½ cup chopped onion, ¼ cup seeded, chopped jalapeno or poblano pepper, 3 cloves minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until softened, then remove from pan.

Saute: 1 pound ground turkey until cooked through and no longer pink, drain and discard extra fat.

Puree in Blender: One 15 ounce jar of roasted red peppers in water (drained), with 1-2 cups chicken broth (or roast 2-3 red bell peppers and 1-2 red fresno chili peppers or any assortment of peppers you like until skins are blackened, let cool then peel and seed).

Combine: onion mixture and red pepper mixture in the pot with the ground turkey.

Add: 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 bay leaf.

Simmer on low 20 minutes or longer, if chili is too thick add more chicken broth. Add hot sauce and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Dress with whatever you like: chopped celery, jalapeno, cilantro, blue cheese, lime juice.

Serves: 4-6

Tips:

Simmer it longer with the lid off and allow to thicken and it makes a great nacho topping.

Combine one cup chili with one cup refried beans, top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and you have a quick and easy dip.

Roasting Your Own Peppers is easy, just rinse and dry your pepper assortment and grill on an outside grill or blacken on your gas cooktop using long tongs to rotate them. Let them cool in a paper bag, then peel and seed them.