Gluten Free Turkey Chili

Chili is not a dish that you find on an Italian menu. As a child, my mother never made Chili and I don't think she had ever tasted it.  I think my first taste of Chili was probably Wendy's taco salad (pre-celiac) as an adult.

There are hundreds of Chili recipes and I have tried many of them to find one that I really like. I have to say that every time I make Chili I probably put a different ingredient in it just to see  how it will taste. So I don't have a perfect chili recipe yet.

I have also learned the hard way, that Chili can be a gluten nightmare for someone who must be gluten free like me! Chili can be gluten free or it can be filled with hidden gluten! You must be careful with pre-packaged Chili Seasoning Mix . They generally have wheat flour as one of the ingredients. Another popular ingredient is beer. My worst and most embarrassing "glutening"(meaning accidently ingesting gluten, usually from cross contamination or hidden gluten) experience started with a bowl of vegetarian chili.

We were on vacation in Oregon  and we had taken a day trip to Mt. Hood. There we ate lunch in the hotel restaurant. I ordered the chili and had informed the waitress that I got terribly ill if I ate gluten and she assured me she checked with the chef and the chili was OK. Long story short, 2 hours later on the bus back to our hotel in Portland, I was sick. My reaction to eating even the tiniest amount of gluten is that I vomit profusely 2 hours after I ingest it and continue to vomit until its out of my stomach. Well, we had no time to find restrooms along the way back to Portland (about a 2 hour ride) the bus stopped several times and I threw up in the gutter. Not pretty! Vacationing and eating in restaurants are both a challenge when you have Celiac. Well, I won't be eating Chili in a restaurant again, so my search continues for the perfect Chili recipe.

My favorite Chili recipe is actually a quick, simple turkey chili, that doesn't require hours of cooking and is perfect for a weeknight meal. I think the original recipe was for a low cal chili and I have tweaked it along the way. I serve it with brown rice and it is one of my "go to" after work meals, and is even better for lunch the next day. Also freezes well.


Gluten Free Turkey Chili                                                                 Printable Recipe
                                                           
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
2 pounds ground turkey
1 -10 oz can diced tomatoes &green chilies (I use Rotel)
1-14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1-14.5oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
1-14.5oz can red kidney beans
2 tbsps. chili powder - this is in the jar- not the pre-packaged mix-always check the label to see if it is gluten free, I've had no problem with McCormick's and Badia brands
1 tsp oregano
Dash of cinnamon
Salt to taste

Sauté the garlic, onion and red pepper in olive oil until softened. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, cook until it is no longer pick. Add the remainder of the ingredients, stir until blended and simmer for about 1/2 hour. Serve over brown rice, top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Gluten Free Turkey Chili