This Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe Was Pretty Much Invented for Winter Weekends

When you wake up on a Saturday morning and see a blanket of snow outside your bedroom window, the instinct to activate hibernation mode hits hard. Super comfy blanket? Check. Every (good) Reese Witherspoon movie ready to go on your Netflix queue? Yep.

The only thing missing is an easy-to-make warming meal that’ll last you through the weekend. That’s where Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD comes in. The founder of Tracy Lockwood Nutrition has a turkey chili recipe that’s perfect for those days when your giant knit blanket doubles as an outfit.

And it covers all the nutrition bases. “It’s a balanced and complete meal, containing lean proteins, slow-digesting and high fiber carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats,” Beckerman says. “Plus, the Swiss chard adds a heaping boost of vitamins A and C to keep your immunity strong during the cold winter months.”

Spoiler: All of the ingredients (ground lean turkey, white beans, onions) from this recipe can be found on Weight Watchers new Freestyle program, which includes a zero Points® list with over 200 foods you can enjoy (because more extra nourishing meals = best thing ever). In other words, the plan is a foolproof way to track how you're fueling your body (with a crazy amount of freedom to boot). 

Scroll down for Beckerman’s easy-to-follow instructions for your new winter warm-up.

Warming Turkey Chili

Yields 5 servings (about 1 cup per serving); 4 SmartPoints® per serving

Ingredients
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. ground lean turkey (99 percent lean)
1 jalapeño pepper (swap for poblano for less spice and more mild flavor)
2 small yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15-oz.) canned white beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 lb. Swiss chard, stems removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 (15-oz.) can organic diced or crushed tomatoes
½ cup (8 Tbsp) organic shredded white cheddar cheese (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, roughly 3-4 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut off stem end and half the jalapeño lengthwise, strip the seeds and white ribs off the pepper. Lay jalapeño halves cut-side facing down on cutting board and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices. Optional: save a few for garnishing.

3. Add minced garlic, jalapeño slices, ground cumin, dried oregano, chili powder to pot for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Next, add turkey, ¼ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, breaking up entire mixture with a wooden spoon as it cooks through, about 7-9 minutes.

4. Stir in white beans, canned tomatoes, chopped Swiss chard to pot. Combine thoroughly and mix for 1 minute. Then, pour in low sodium chicken stock, increase to high heat until mixture starts to simmer, scraping bits that stick to bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until chili has thickened, about 40-50 minutes and liquid has roughly reduced by half. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.

5. Ladle hot chili into four serving bowls, garnish each bowl with jalapeño slices and 2 Tbsp white cheddar cheese (optional). Dig in!

In partnership with Weight Watchers

Top photo: Stocksy/Cameron Whitman