Hearty & Healthy, Sweet-N-Slightly Spicy Turkey Pumpkin Chili

That’s when I discovered I was out of all types of ground frozen burgers, kidney beans, chili beans, and green peppers, all of which I use in my beef-based chili recipe. My heart began to pick up its pace.

What now? Humm, I stood as if frozen in my footsteps with the freezer door wide open, gawking, pondering, thinking, wondering…

Spying a nearly 6-month-old package of frozen ground turkey, I grabbed it quicker than a one-armed bandit! Almost jumping for joy, I turn, catching the freezer door with my foot to close it, “This could be what’s for dinner tonight,” I reaffirm out loud.

By the way, talking to yourself is permissible, especially when you need inspiration and have no idea what you’re about to come up with for dinner.

Another glance at my watch shows fifty minutes and counting before dear hubby is home.

Not that he expects dinner to be on the table when he arrives. He doesn’t. It’s all in my head, the reasoning, agonizing about why something needs to be simmering on the stove or baking in the oven, awaiting his arrival. It’s entirely a hang-up I own.

I’m sure some psychotherapist somewhere could explain why I put this pressure on myself. Nevertheless, I do it. For whatever reason, I have this crazy idea that if dinner is underway and I can make it look like everything in our world is harmonious, life rolling along blissfully, then, in fact, it will be just that: no stress, no worries, simply a blissful world at Lac du Nibiinaabe.

Another glance at my watch confirms that it is just forty-five minutes now.

“C’mon girl, get with it! No time to spare.” The voice in my head propels me into action.

I begin loading my arms with fixings from the pantry – Canned Tomatoes, Baby Butter Beans (“Thoughts” – Yes/No??? Yes. The flavor of the beans should go well enough with turkey.), Red Onion, Canned Pumpkin (WHAT? Canned PUMPKIN??? Oh, what the hey, YES, Canned Pumpkin. I think I’ve read about using it in chili somewhere.)

All ingredients gathered, plop, or thud into the skillet, and the frozen ground turkey is finally on the stovetop. Add a little water, medium heat, and cover with a lid; the frozen mass is on its way to thawing quickly. Thanks to my mix-n-chop-it tool, as the turkey thaws and cooks, it’s easy to break down into smaller pieces in the pan. Then comes the olive oil to brown the meat on all sides.

While the turkey cooks, I chop up the onion and yellow pepper from the fridge, then add them to the skillet to sauté along with garlic before stirring in the remaining ingredients.

The magic begins. The kitchen transformed into a pleasing place full of warmth. “It smells wonderful in here!”

I turn the burner to a low simmer. The breezeway door opens—Hubby’s home.

“Hi, honey! Glad you made it!”

Under my breath, I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Whew! Calming, the tension in my body relaxes; I smile, knowing that everything has come together just in time.

“How was your day?” I ask casually. “Oh, and by the way – dinner should be ready in about thirty minutes…”