Welcome Fall!

Or autumn - whichever you prefer to call it! I ushered in the new season, and the cooler weather that came with it, this weekend. How, you ask? With a huge pot of chili of course! How else would anyone do such a thing?

There are two things about chili I want to point out.
1. There is no wrong way to make it. Unless of course you put pasta in it. EWWW. I'm a fan of Texas style chili aka chili con carne, not Cincinnati style chili or chili mac.
2. It's always better once it's sat in the fridge overnight.

I make my chili the way I make everything...I have a general idea of what could go in the pot. I open up the fridge/pantry and see what I have. I throw in whatever I have on hand, making substitutes as needed, and cross my fingers hoping it will turn out tasty.

This weekend here's how I made it.

CHILI

1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 4-oz can green chiles, diced
1 28-oz (large) can of crushed tomatoes
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Place ground turkey, garlic, onions and bell pepper in pot and cook over medium heat until turkey is browned. Add the large and regular cans of tomatoes. Stir. Add cumin and chili powder. Add green chiles, chipotle peppers, and beans. I like a pretty thick chili, but if you want it more soupy, add some tomato juice, broth or water to the mixture. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Refrigerate the entire pot overnight. Eat the next day in any of these yummy ways:

• Over rice
• With tortilla chips
• Over hot dogs
• In taco salad
• On baked potatoes

I suppose you could even serve it over pasta - just don't tell me about it!