Fran Landis' Turkey Chili.

OK...I totally don't intend for this to be a recipe blog. Honest. However...I have to share one more yummy soup recipe with you.

Fran Landis, the musical director for FORUM, made a very tasty turkey chili for our company meal a few weeks ago. Now, if you read my post about the corn chowder, you know that I like chili and that I was actually hoping to make chili that infamous night. Her recipe is SO easy and SO tasty. She was kind enough to share it with me.

Listen...I bought these ingredients tonight and anyone can make it. It cost about $8 total and made enough to feed 4 people 2 bowls each. Here's it is, in Fran's words:

These are the exact ingredients I used, including brand names, but you can obviously use similar products of your choosing.

1 pound ground turkey
1 17.6-oz. jar Goya brand Mild Pico de Gallo Salsa
1 15.5-oz. can Goya Premium Black Beans
2 8-oz.cans Hunt no salt added tomato sauce
Frozen corn

Brown turkey. Add Pico De Gallo, beans and sauce. Cook until hot, then add frozen corn to your liking, as well as chili powder and ground cumin to taste. (You can add some sliced baby carrots if you wish, also.)

For the Kavinoky gang, I doubled the recipe and used one can of Goya Great Northern Beans in addition to the can of Black Beans. I didn't have any cumin, so I omitted it.

So, try it. You'll like it. Mmm...autumn weather is the best time for soup.

My Corn Chowder Recipe.

It truly is one of my favorite things. I love me some good corn chowder. This recipe, albeit very tasty, was born out of a lack of ingredients. I really wanted to make chili...I was in the mood for it. However, I didn't have any ground beef, or tomato sauce, or beans, or chili spices. (I was pissed but also too lazy to go to Wegmans.) I was determined, nonetheless, to make a hearty stick-to-your-ribs soup. I reevaluated the contents in my pantry.

I had potatoes, canned corn, creamed corn, and chicken stock. I threw it all in a pot and it was rather tasty...not perfect...but tasty. I was determined to try again. And I did, the next day.

I went to Wegmans and strolled through the aisles. Thinking of what tastes good to me. I picked up a few things and tried again. This time I liked it a lot. And I haven't really deviated from this recipe since. It's very easy and rather inexpensive to make. (I've actually made this a relatively labor-free recipe, too.) If you're up for it, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 4 cans, sliced new potatoes
• 1 bag, frozen sweet corn
• 2 cans, creamed corn
• 1 jar, Nance's corn relish (this is key...find in the condiment section)
  
• 1 small-medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp., butter
• 1 package, Jimmy Dean's Spicy Sausage (optional but RECOMMENDED)
  
• 16 oz., chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 8 oz., heavy cream (milk will do, but this is much richer)
  

Directions:

• In a large, soup pot (dutch oven), over med-high heat, melt butter and carmalize the onion.
• In a separate pan, cook the sausage, drain. Add to the soup pot with the onions.
  
• Coarsly chop (I do this right in the can) the potatoes. Drain.
• Add ALL of the remaining ingredients, as listed, into the pot.
• Heat through, completely, uncovered. This takes about 90 minutes or so.
• Season to taste with salt.

I like it a LOT. This is perfect on a cold day. It takes almost NO time to prepare and I have been able to purchase all of these ingredients for about $10. It serves about 6 as a main dish...unless you're like me and eat the whole pot in a day or so. It reheats really well, too.

Mmm. Mmm. Good.