Turkey Quinoa Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Don't feel like cooking? You could get a few meals out of this crockpot creation. This recipe was a winner in our Simply Slow Cookin' contest. Congratulations to Kate Taylor, Clinical Integration, UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus, Worcester, MA (Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 t garlic powder
• ½ t black pepper
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 t chipotle chili pepper
• 2 t cumin
• 3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 c. uncooked quinoa
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 c. frozen corn, thawed
• 12 oz. beer (IPA or dark or amber beer) or substitute additional low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 c. low-sodium chicken stock
• Hot sauce to taste
• Optional: cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Cook and stir, breaking up the turkey as you go until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, chipotle chili powder and cumin, then transfer to the bottom of a large slow cooker. Add the chopped sweet potatoes, quinoa, beer, 2 cups chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, corn and black beans to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours until the potatoes are tender. Stir in additional chicken stock if the chili is too thick. Add a splash of extra hot sauce for some more spice. Serve with desired toppings.