Basic Starter Chili

Combine all ingredients except celery, onion, garlic, turkey and oil in a large stew pot. Set on burner but do not turn on.

Combine the celery, onion, and garlic in a large pan and saute over medium heat until the onions are soft.

Push the vegetables to the outside edges of the pan and add the ground turkey to the pan. Turn the heat up slightly and let the turkey sit until the pan-side has cooked and then slowly pile vegetables on top and begin to break up turkey, stirring in vegetables as the turkey browns.

Add all contents of the pan to the stew pot, including the turkey drippings. Stir the contents of the stew pot until everything is mixed in well and nothing is dry. If at this point your wet ingredients do not cover your solid ingredients when tamped down, add water until the liquids are JUST covering the solids.

Cover the stew pot and place over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring once every 10 minutes and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with the spoon.

After 30 minutes, turn heat to medium-low and vent to allow steam out (do not uncover unless you like cleaning chili off of your stove). After this I recommend checking on it and stirring it once every 10 minutes until it has reached the desired thickness.

NOTE: This is a very basic chili with a little heat but mostly just a lot of flavor. It has a lot of room for extension and adjustment. To adjust the heat increase or decrease the amount of chili powder used in teaspoon increments, or replace the chili powder with diced jalapenos, habaneros, or whatever other spicy chili pepper you prefer. Excellent when served over crushed tortilla chips with some sharp cheddar melted on top.