Healthy chili for fall football

With cooler weather, tailgate parties and fall arriving, the sound of homemade chili is very inviting. In order to have healthy meals, red meat is usually limited. So I had to have an alternative -- using turkey, this is a great recipe for White Chili!! It takes about 30 minutes to make and it tastes great. So here it is:

1 pound ground white turkey meat
1 chopped white onion
2 tsp. chopped or minced garlic
2 cans Great Northern beans
2 13 1/2 oz cans of low sodium chicken broth
2 cans of chopped green chiles
1 tsp. of cumin

First drain the beans in a colander. Use a small amount of canola or olive oil in a large pot. On medium heat, add onion and garlic; saute until translucent. Add turkey and brown.

Add the beans, chicken broth and green chiles. Cook on low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Add cumin before serving.

This is a great meal particularly if you add a salad and some old fashioned cornbread. I make my cornbread with a mix, skim milk and egg whites, but I still use my great grandmother's iron skillet. The very best way to have cornbread that is crisp on the outside and tasty on the inside, is to put the skillet with about 1/8 cup of oil, in the oven while it is heating up. Cook according to the mix directions and add a little Smart Balance or Promise to the cornbread and you have a completely satisfying comfort food meal.

Mary Lou Wilson, RN, BSN
Director, Women's Services
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford