Turkey Chili with Maple Bacon & Bourbon

So here it is! :)

slowcooked, homemade, turkey chili with maple bacon & bourbon. delish!

it was my made up own recipe. (got the idea from a friend of mine!)

ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey meat
1 green pepper
1 sweet onion
1 jalapeno
3 garlic cloves
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans
4 strips of thick cut maple bacon
1 1/2 shots of bourbon
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp butter or margarine (optional)
salt & pepper accordingly (i usually salt and pepper the veggies)

i heated up a frying pan on the stove then i went ahead and chopped up the bacon, green pepper, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. first, i cooked up the bacon with added maple syrup (optional) and then placed the cook bacon pieces into the slowcooker. then in the bacon "oil" i sauteed the green peppers, onions, jalapeno, and garlic along with the spices (cumin & chili powder) and the butter/margarine (again, this is optional too. i believe it gives a smoother finish to the taste.). after the onions have cooked down a little before translucency, transfer them into the slowcooker with the bacon.

then in the same pan, cook the ground turkey meat with fennel till meat is almost cooked through then add the bourbon. then transfer to the slowcooker.

in the slowcooker i added brown sugar, the diced tomatoes and the kidney beans (rinse with water first). i mix up the chili and put the slowcooker on high for the first two hours and then low for the next three. i ate mine with chopped onions, corn chips, shredded cheddar & sour cream. lol. not exactly figure friendly, but definitely delicious. (also if you wanted more of a bourbon flavor, you can add another shot towards the end of cooking. an hour before it's done or so.)


*i used 2 cans of diced tomatoes, but wasn't happy with the color of the chili. so, if you want a more deeper red color, i suggest maybe one can diced and one can sauce. i will try this the next time i make it. lol. if any you others try it with the sauce before i do let me know how it turns out! :)

happy eats! <3