Autumn happened. Quickly. Like overnight. The weather, which was just hot, has chilled. The leaves have changed. Football fills our weekends. We need something hearty to warm us and sustain our souls. Yes, the love of a good woman helps. But, we mean chili. We’re talking about chili here.

We at G@H often act like we know best. Like insufferable know-it-alls. With chili, though, there’s no one right way. Spicy. Mild. Beef Chili. White Chili. Taco Chili. Black Bean Chili. It all tastes great. And, between September and January, there are enough gamedays to allow for variety.

On a recent NFL Sunday, we felt feisty and decided to experiment. We developed this chili recipe which mixes the flavors of the land and the air. That is, we used ground bison and ground turkey. Yes, we understand that turkeys don’t fly. But, let’s not be so literal; they are birds and have wings.

Turkey Buffalo Gameday Chili

Ingredients

• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One pound of ground turkey
• One pound of ground bison
• One red onion, diced
• One bell pepper, diced
• One jalapeno, diced
• One teaspoon of brown sugar
• One can of red kidney beans
• Two tablespoons of tomato paste
• One 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• One 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• One teaspoon of dried oregano
• Four tablespoons of chili powder
• Two tablespoons of cumin
• One tablespoon of garlic powder
• One teaspoon of cayenne powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cheddar cheese, grated for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brown turkey and bison. Transfer into slow cooker. In the same skillet, add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened—about eight minutes. Pour into slow cooker. Mix in kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, oregano, and cinnamon. Cook on “low” for seven to eight hours or “high” for three to four hours.

Top with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve on tater tots (pictured above) or with cheddar cheese jalapeno corn bread. Watch some football. Or playoff baseball. Or MLS soccer. Or Netflix. Or HBO. Or the leaves fall from the trees.

Pro tip: chili makes perfect leftovers for weekday lunches.