DP Chili

MMMMM Chili… In fact, Dr Pepper and Hershey’s Chocolate Chili!! Every day my husband calls me from work, (sometimes a few times) just to say hello, I love you, how’s your day going, etc. One day he called and I insisted that he decide on dinner. I love to cook, but sometimes I would rather scrub a toilet than figure out what to make for dinner. It just gets old thinking about what will taste good. Anyway, I asked what he wanted for dinner, and he replied, “eh, whatever you feel like.” I quickly responded with, “NO! Sorry Love, not happening. YOU pick. I’ll make anything, but don’t make me decide!!”
He said Chili. I got right on it.

This is hands down, the best chili I’ve made to date. It has a yummy little kick and those special ingredients,
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well, they just give something that you would never suspect, and you’d never guess that’s what made it. Ever. Why didn’t I think of adding cocoa and Dr Pepper sooner? And, what else (other than the cafe rio pork) can I make using Dr Pepper?

Ok, so here’s what happened. I was going to use beef broth, but then decided to do a turkey chili so that would be weird. Then, I was going for chicken stock, but I knew the flavor would be so light, and I really wanted something with a deeper flavor. I opened the fridge, and front and center was a Dr Pepper. I don’t buy pop. Yup, I’m a crazy mom that thinks it’s not an every day beverage, but a good friend knows my hubby prefers Dr Pepper over all other pops and dropped one off. So, I dumped it in. I could feel it in my bones that it was going to be good. And then I though, “Well, if we are going crazy, and I’ve had plenty of savory dishes with a secret ingredient of chocolate, so let’s throw that in too!” I can seriously taste this baby now. It’s got a great little kick to it (I was shocked that my little girls ate it), but the flavor is also rich, hearty and amazing.

My hubby got home, sat down for dinner, and said, “oh, grab me that dp.” Yeah, about that. It’s gone. He truly thought I had given it away or dumped it. Poor guy just looked at me like, “You gave my precious dp away”. I quickly said, um it’s how I made the chilli. Let’s just say he was more than excited to dive in. And, he was more than pleased by the outcome. LOVED IT. Not just loved it. LOVED IT. As will you…

DP Chili
Recipe by me

2 Tb Canola Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Each, Red, yellow, Bell Pepper, minced
1 Lb Ground Turkey
1 Tb Chili Powder
1 Heaping Tb Cumin
1/4 Ts Cayenne (or more to taste)
1 Ts Oregano
1 Tb Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa
1/2 Ts Allspice
1/4 Ts Thyme
1 12 Oz Dr Pepper
1 Tub Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock
2 Tb Tomato Paste
1 can, drained, Pinto Beans
1 Can Tomatoes for Chili (or if you can’t find those you could use mexican style tomatoes)

sour cream, cheese, green onions etc for serving.

In a heavy bottomed pot, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 min. Add the garlic, stirring everything together to not burn the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced bell peppers and saute for another 2-4 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Add the ground turkey to the pot and cook through until almost cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Dump all of the spices over the meat and quickly stir it all in. Let the spices cook onto the meat for 1-2 minutes. Add the dr pepper,  tomato paste, and knorr stock. Stir until the tub of stock and paste have dissolved. Add the pinto beans, and tomatoes and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 30-all day. The longer it simmers the better the flavor. Mine simmered for 2 hours on a very low heat.

Serve with cool sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, and chips.