Southwest Turkey Meatball Chili

The spices of the Southwest match up with hearty Turkey Meatballs in this easy meal, perfect for busy weeknights.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 lb Armanino Turkey Meatballs (1 oz size), defrosted (about 16 meatballs)
½ large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
4 teaspoons medium chili powder
½ teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoons ground cayenne, optional
1 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
32 oz whole peeled tomatoes and their juice, crushed by hand
1 ½ cups water
10 oz package of frozen Southwest Mixed Vegetable Medley (corn, red/green bell peppers, black beans)
16 oz can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
garnish with grated cheddar, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, sliced black olives, chopped scallions, diced avocado

In a large, heavy pot, heat half the oil over medium-high heat.
Brown the defrosted meatballs in a single layer, turning frequently to brown on all sides (depending on the size of your pot you may have to do this in batches). Browning adds an additional layer of flavor and helps the meatballs stay together during cooking.
Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining oil and the diced onion; sauté over medium-high until soft, translucent and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin (and cayenne if desired) and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the water, tomato paste and canned tomatoes, crushing each tomato by hand and adding to the pot; bring to a boil over medium-high.
Add the browned meatballs, vegetable mix and drained beans; stir to combine.
Bring back to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors are well blended.
Serve hot with your choice of garnishes.
Can be made up to 2 days ahead and frozen up to 2 months.

If you can’t find a frozen southwest style vegetable medley, use a bag of frozen fire roasted corn and sauté ½ of a chopped red or green bell pepper with the onions.
While squishing the tomatoes into the pot by hand can be immensely satisfying, it is a bit messy. A neater option is to insert a pair of kitchen scissors into the opened can and cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Do not process in a blender or used a canned tomato sauce as you want some larger tomato pieces in the mix.
If you’d like a bit spicier, opt for a hotter chili powder, add some chipotle paste or up to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne.