I LOVE cooking with wine, especially in the winter. And when I am able to make some of my “ole favourites” even better, it makes me pretty happy.

My “better” twist to my chili recipe has me adding in Turkey Bacon (and ditching the ground meat) and using a bit of Malbec to add some depth of flavour.

An easy, and adaptable recipe that can work with what you have in the fridge, this Turkey & Malbec Chili is perfect for the cold nights ahead.

Fresh tomatoes are amazing to cook with any time of year, and I like to add them into this recipe.  It makes the whole thing taste fresh and with the added health benefits of the Butterball Turkey Bacon, I feel pretty good about serving this meal up (especially during the holidays when it is the season to indulge)

I used the Salt Reduced Bacon Style Turkey, with half the salt of other bacon style turkey, and half the fat as pork bacon!  The kids loved it, and it was super easy to cook with.

And, it sautés up like “regular” bacon in the pot, so you get all those little delicious bits at the bottom of the pan for the wine to work into!

Give it a cook up, but be sure to leave some leftovers! Nothing is better after a day in the snow (or if you are west coast, the frost/rain/fog) than a steaming serving of Turkey & Malbec chili over a Butterball Turkey Frank. The kids devoured these for lunch!  And any recipe that makes more than one meal makes my life a whole lot easier. Chili dogs are a hit with our kids, and take 5 minutes to make.

I toss the Butterball Turkey Franks (and feel good already since they are HALF the calories of my other franks) in a simmering pot, and pull them out after a few minutes (and before the split!)  A lightly buttered bun tossed on the pan to brown (and crisp up) houses the Turkey Frank while a liberal dollop of Turkey & Malbec chill is added on top.

Grated cheese and my world is complete.

And just because we are all craving hearty meals this time of year, doesn’t mean we need to load up on the fat!  Check out these great Butterball Turkey recipes that will fill your belly (and your soul) while watching your waistline!  

 “This post is sponsored by Butterball Canada. In exchange this review, I have received special perks in the form of products and monetary compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.”