Black Bean Chili

And the award for "Best Dish to Warm You Up on a Cold Night" goes to... black bean chili! (Okay, so there's no Oscar for comfort food, but if there were, chili would sweep the category every time.) Pot roast and chicken spaghetti would be the runners up, of course, but it's hard to beat a simmering pot of black bean chili that's flavored with smoky spices, peppers, onions, and piled high with your favorite toppings. While we love using the slow cooker for chili, this recipe requires no robots—just a sturdy Dutch oven and 45 minutes. Who's in?

What beans are best for chili?

When it comes to this recipe, whatever you have in your pantry will work! If you want to spend two days making chili, by all means, soak some dried beans. But this recipe is all about getting dinner on the table fast, so canned beans are perfectly fine. While you're perfectly welcome to used canned dark or red kidney beans or even pinto beans, we prefer black beans in this recipe for their meaty flavor and creamy texture.

Do you have to rinse canned beans?

Rinsing canned beans is always a good idea. The liquid in the can is safe to eat, but the extra salt and thickness can impact the flavor and texture of your chili. To give yourself the most control over the ultimate deliciousness of this chili, simply empty the beans into a colander, then rinse the beans under the faucet until all of the thick, clingy liquid is gone. What's left behind will be clean and shiny beans ready to absorb all of the flavorful spices simmering away in the pot.

What meat can be used in chili?

This recipe calls for ground turkey, which is leaner than ground beef and does a really great job of absorbing all of the rich flavors of this chili. You can use ground turkey breast in this recipe, but a mix of white and dark meat will add more flavor. Feel free to substitute any ground meat you prefer, such as sirloin, ground chuck, or even ground bison.