My mother called me several months back and raved about a recipe she tried in one of her new cookbooks for chicken chili. I had never heard of “chicken chili” before but she said my three brothers could not get enough and they devoured the whole pot in one sitting. Sounded good to me! So I tried it in the crockpot and bringing the dish together was extremely easy… it was the smell lingering from the crockpot that was absolutely tantalizing and NOT easy to resist.
The combination of cayenne and chili pepper was a little pungent so I hope you like a little spice in your life! If not, I’m sure you could add a little less cayenne. I made sure the chicken was slightly undercooked before putting it in the crockpot. I noticed this helped to keep the chicken tender and juicy.
One serving is fairly generous, so if you are only cooking for 2-3 people, halving the recipe will work out just fine. This dish also contains almost 8 grams of filling fiber*! You are sure to be full for hours!
With a little cheese for garnish and a slice of french bread, we had another evening of delicious comfort food….double yum.
Chicken Chili
Adapted from GooseBerry Patch Family Favorites Cookbook
Makes 8-10 servings
2lb cubed chicken breast
4 garlic cloves
2 small onions, chopped
1 red pepper and 1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 (16oz) Jar Chunky Salsa (I prefer Mild)
14 1/2 oz 33% less sodium chicken broth
15 1/2 oz kidney beans, rinsed/drained
10 oz package of frozen corn
salt/pepper to taste
Directions:
Add olive to skillet and saute chicken breast, garlic, onion, and peppers until chicken is cooked through. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer in the crockpot for ~ 3 hours or the skillet for ~1 hour.
Nutritional Profile: 322 calories, 9.3 g fat (1.5 g sat., 1.4 g poly, 5.6 g mono), 26.8 g carbohydrate, 33.1 g protein,
7.7 g fiber, 669 mg sodium (inaccurate/varies on products used and salt added)
*Most people are aware of the importance of fiber. Fiber prolongs stomach emptying keeping you full for longer, helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, and can also relieve constipation. Each person should aim for ~25-45 grams per day. However, the average person struggles to meet this daily quota and so now there are endless products on the market that have lots of added fiber. While these are okay in moderation, I feel that there are plenty of WHOLE foods that get left in the dust because of companies like Fiber One. Incorporating fiber richs foods into every meal and snack will help you meet your daily fiber needs!
