Full of goodness, and an amazing make-ahead meal, this recipe is a winner for post-explant recovery. It is pretty simple and quick to make, and also freezes very well.

My husband and I travelled almost 7 hours for my explant surgery and we stayed in an Airbnb for a week. We put a couple of pre-made frozen turkey chili dinners in a cooler with some ice packs (along with some other meals that I made ahead like Recovery Chicken Soup), and when we arrived we were so happy and relieved to discover they were still frozen.

I can’t tell you how fantastic it was to have fully prepared, healthy meals ready to warm up while we were away from home. It took the pressure off having to cook, which was just what we needed that week. I really feel that the meals helped to start my healing and recovery off well. 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small sweet onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed or the equivalent of minced garlic

1 lb. ground turkey 

4 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 tbsp. chili powder (add another tbsp. if you like your chili spicier)

1 tsp. paprika 

¾ tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

28 oz. crushed tomatoes canned

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 cup chicken broth 

15 oz. black beans canned, drained

15 oz. can of your favorite canned kernel corn, drained (Optional)

2 tsp. cumin

Instructions

1. Steam sweet potatoes until soft.
2. As sweet potatoes are steaming, drizzle olive oil into a large stockpot or Dutch oven, and add onions and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until browned.
3. Push onions to the side and add ground turkey. Continue cooking over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until turkey is almost cooked through. Crumble cooked turkey using a potato masher.
4. In a small bowl combine chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper (and cumin if desired). Mix to combine.
5. Pour crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, chicken broth and seasoning ingredients into the chili mixture. Mix chili thoroughly and reduce heat to low.
6. Cover pot and simmer for 20-25 minutes. The sweet potatoes will break down as they cook, which will give the chili a nice thickness.
7. Mix black beans (and drained corn if desired). Cover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did, and still do! It has become a staple in our house