Slow Cooker Chili (Vegetarian, Turkey, Beef or au Gratin)

I swear.....this is the last recipe using leftover turkey from last week's Christmas dinner!

Of course you can make this a vegetarian chili too.  Just leave out the meat and use vegetable broth.

1  lb (2 cups) cooked leftover turkey, chopped
        (or 1 lb ground beef)
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
olive oil
2 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or beef)
28 oz can diced tomatoes 
1  1/2 - 2 tbsps tomato paste
3 tbsps chili powder
couple pinches cayenne pepper
3/4 - 1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp pepper
19 oz can red kidney beans
19 oz can white kidney beans
fresh parsley to garnish

Crush and mince the garlic and set aside.  Chop the celery and onion. In a frying pan heat a couple of tbsps olive oil and add the onion, celery and garlic. At this point if using ground beef, brown it in the pan now.  Add the optional quinoa here.

Cook until the veggies are translucent. (Or if using beef, until there is no more pink and cooked through).

Transfer to slow cooker and add broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Drain and rinse the kidney beans and stir them in as well.

This is a mild chili.  If you want more heat add some chili flakes and more cayenne. 
The cooked turkey goes in now.

Cover and cook 3-4 hours on low.

Serve plain or on toast, topped with sour cream or sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.  It's your call.

And here it is au gratin.

Add a dutch, sometimes called holland, rusk  to the bottom of an onion soup bowl. (For some reason rusks have become hard to find around here!) Ladle in the warm chili and top with shredded cheese.

I used mozzarella, but a sharp cheddar would be great.

Broil for 2 minutes and serve.