Today, I whipped up some turkey white chili, based on our chicken white chili recipe, but made it with cooked turkey meat instead of chicken, and with the beans cooked in homemade turkey stock. I bumped up the heat a bit from the other recipe. Feel free to dial it down, if you don’t like your foods spicy. Have you ever had white chili? It’s called white chili because instead of what you find in the usual chili con carne, it uses white beans, white meat, and mild green chiles. It’s absolutely delicious with tortilla chips.
More Ways to Use Up Your Turkey Leftovers
Mom’s Turkey Soup Turkey Tetrazzini Turkey Tortilla Soup Creamy Cheesy Turkey Enchiladas Turkey Noodle Casserole
Cover and cook on low for another 2 to 3 hours or on high for about an hour. Since you’re using pre-cooked beans and turkey, the flavors just need to simmer together, Making this in a slow cooker is perfect for casual parties, where guests can serve themselves and the chili stays warm.
How to Store and Freeze Chili
Refrigerate leftover turkey chili in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cool before storing. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Or you can take chili right from the freezer and reheat over low heat in a covered saucepan. Stir occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
Don’t Have Turkey? Make White Chicken Chili
You can also pressure cook the beans more quickly than on the stovetop without needing to pre-soak them. You can also use canned white beans. If you use canned beans, drain them from their juices and combine them with the turkey stock in step one. Only heat the beans and turkey stock enough to bring the stock to a simmer. You don’t need to cook the canned beans, because they are already cooked. This recipe can easily be doubled.
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 1/3 cup loosely chopped cilantro 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped (or guacamole) Chopped tomatoes or salsa Corn tortilla chips and/or fresh warmed flour tortillas
Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are very soft, 1 to 3 hours or more, depending on the type of white beans you are using. Cannelli beans are tender and tend to cook rather quickly. Navy beans take longer. Add additional water (or watered-down stock), if necessary. (Or you can skip the soaking, and cook the beans in the turkey stock with the onions in a pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then let release naturally for 10 minutes.) Add the turkey and salt to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes or more (up to an hour) until the beans are thoroughly soft, and the stew has thickened. Serve with fresh warmed flour tortillas or tortilla chips on the side.
