Ground Turkey

Okay, you may be thinking, “Why is this Diva posting a chili recipe as the weather is warming up? Isn’t chili a cool weather dish?” Here is my response, this is probably one of the best keto meals I have ever had, and the flavors are so good that I absolutely eat this any time. Plus, it is just so easy to make, and in my opinion, an easy one pot recipe is welcome year-round.

I have been “doing keto” since June 2020 and am down 33 lbs. Yay me! Now don’t worry, this blog is not suddenly turning keto. I am just all about offering variety to my followers and I could not keep this recipe to myself, it is just too good! If you are a long time follower, you know my blog is anything but a keto or diet blog.

Now even if you aren’t on a ketogenic diet, you can absolutely enjoy this recipe as is, or what I do for my husband and son who are full on carbivores (I just made that up), is split the cooked chili into two batches after it is all cooked. One keto batch for me, and one carb loaded version for them. I have integrated carbs two different ways for them. One time I added a can of white cannellini beans to their chili and another time I served this over a bowl of cooked rice. Both of those options were very well received.

Hope you love this recipe as much as I do because it is definitely one of my new favorite “go tos”.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4 tbsp butter
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 a yellow onion, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
1 1/2 c chicken broth
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 c heavy cream
4.5-ounce can diced green chiles, drained

GARNISHES
avocado
cilantro
cotija cheese, crumbled

STEPS

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat and add the ground chicken breaking it apart as it cooks.
Season the meat with cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and continue cooking until it is almost cooked through.
Add the butter, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the pot.
Sauté until all the veggies are cooked through and tender, about 5–10 minutes.
Add the broth to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the cream cheese, heavy cream, and green chiles.
Continue simmering for another 15 minutes stirring every once in a while, making sure that the cream cheese melts and is nicely integrated.
Garnish with avocado, cilantro, and crumbled cotija cheese.

Fall is in the air and I am having a blast experimenting with all the different types of seasonal squash I’ve been getting in my produce boxes. I will admit this was my first time cooking an acorn squash. When I was looking at recipes it seemed like most people douse them with sugar and butter and bake them. I was looking for a healthier approach since I’m trying to watch my carbs, I know, I’m boring. I found several stuffed squash recipes so I took bits and pieces from many of them and came up with this. It made for a delicious fall dinner and it’s fun because the squash itself is an edible bowl. The filling is packed with all sorts of veggies and I used extra lean ground turkey making it low cal. Don’t worry I added cheese to help balance that out. For a healthy dinner option this certainly wasn’t short on flavor. Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS
2 acorn squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c chopped mushrooms
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
2 tsp whole fennel seeds
1 bunch chard, chopped
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c panko
1/4 c parmesean

STEPS

Preheat oven to 400º.
Carefully cut acorn squash in half and using a spoon clean out the seeds and stringy pulp.
Season the squash halves with salt and pepper.
Place halves on a baking sheet cut side up and cook for 1 hour.
When the squash have 30 minutes of cook time remaining start your stuffing. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the pan and cook until softened.
Add the ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes making sure to break it up into crumbles.
Stir in all of your seasonings and add in the chard.
Cook stuffing mixture for another 10 minutes.
Add in broth and panko and cook at a simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.
Remove skillet from heat and allow to sit until squash is done cooking. (Be sure to taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.)
When the squash is done it should be easily pierced with a fork.
Remove squash from the oven and spoon your stuffing mixture into each half.
Top each with parmesan cheese and place under the broiler for 5 minutes until cheese is a nice golden brown.