Turkey Chili with Fluffy Cornbread Dumplings

Fluffy.

Might not be beautiful, but sure is delicious.

Ingredients

Cornbread Dumpling Topper:

• 1 cup cornmeal white or yellow

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

• 1 egg lightly beaten

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted plus as needed to brush over top

Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato:

• Olive oil as needed

• 1 white or yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon coriander 

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• ½ teaspoon chili powder (or more if you love spice)

• 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 

• 1 pound of ground turkey (dark meat is great here) 

• 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth 

• 28-ounce can of crushed or whole peeled tomatoes (fire-roasted is a great option here)

• 1 large sweet potato, cubed

• 4.5-ounce can of green chiles 

• 15-ounce can of kidney beans 

• 15-ounce can of corn 

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

Instructions:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in the prepped onion and garlic. Let those sweat for a bit until the onion is translucent then add in the spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, and chili powder) to toast for about a minute. 

Next, create a small hole in the middle of the onions and add in the tomato paste, allowing it to toast up to a brick-red color undisturbed for a couple of minutes. Then, mix into the rest of the ingredients. 

Add the ground turkey and brown on medium-low heat until there are no more pink or raw bits, breaking up the meat as you go. 

Add the canned tomato, green chile and diced sweet potato and bring to a simmer. You can sub in diced butternut squash if you have that on hand instead. If you used whole peeled tomatoes, crush them in your hands as you add them to the pot. Turn the heat down to low and continue simmering for about 20 minutes, semi-covered, until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chili reaches your desired thicccness (the longer you cook it down uncovered, the thiccer she gets). Stir in drained corn and beans and cut the heat. Lastly, mix in the cinnamon and apple cider vinegar.

While the chili is simmering, make the cornbread batter and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk. In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted butter and beaten egg. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and mix only until combined. As this batter sits, it will thicken a bit. Once your chili has simmer for about 20 minutes, you can scoop your cornbread batter on the top in about 8 large scoops. Depending on the size of your vessel, the scoops may touch and as they bake, may grow into one large layer of cornbread atop the chili. This is perfectly okay and delicious! 

Bake your chili and cornbread blobs uncovered for about 25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Remember, much of the liquid in your chili will likely soak up until the cornbread so this will end up being quite thick and not very runny. Brush the tops of your cornbread with butter and finish with flaky salt. 

Enjoy! Feeds 6-8 people.