Chipotle Chicken Chili (recipe)

 Click here for printer-friendly recipe!
What’s your favorite Super Bowl snack? Leave a comment.

Try this hearty White Bean Chicken Chili with a kick of Chipotle! It’s an easy, delicious, and healthy dish to serve at a Super Bowl party. What could be better?

For added game day fun, break out a bag of “scoop” tortilla chips and serve up Chipotle Chicken Chili Scoop appetizers to heat up the party!

Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Chili:
1 lb shredded chicken
2-4 pieces Canadian bacon
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
15 oz white beans, such as Cannellini, White Kidney Bean
15 oz crushed or diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
2-3 tsp adobo sauce
2 cups chicken, vegetable stock or water
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp cumin

Garnish:
cilantro
green onions
avocado
sour cream

NOTE: Makes about 2 quarts chili. For a vegetarian option, try substituting quartered button mushrooms, zucchini, firm tofu.

“Who you callin’ Chicken, Chili?”

Season and cook chicken any way you want. I grilled. Shocking, I know.
These breasts were seasoned with 1 tsp chipotle chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried parsley, s&p and a drizzle of olive oil before grilling.

Allow chicken to cool and shred. One pound shredded chicken is about two cups.

Cook Canadian Bacon. The recipe calls for 2-4 pieces because size of bacon varies. I cook whatever a “serving” is for the brand of bacon that I am using.

Chop it into little Canadian Bacon Bits.

Add the Canadian Bacon Bits to the white beans. Simmer on low and cover.
If you use a lower sodium, more natural canned white bean, use the liquid that surrounds the beans. You will need to add less salt and the liquid acts as a thickener.

Prepare vegetables. (There should also be 5 unpeeled garlic cloves in the bowl — unfortunately, I forgot ‘em.) I drizzle olive oil and sprinkled salt and pepper on the onion rings, red bell pepper slices and jalapeno.

I also grilled the veggies. You can roast vegetables in the oven or simply chop and saute right in the bottom of the pot. Roasting or grilling adds another level of flavor and enhances the smokey-grill Chipotle flavor.

Chop vegetables into small pieces. Peel and mince garlic.

Add chopped vegetables to beans and stir.

NOTE: If you are sauteing chopped vegetables directly in soup pot, saute vegetables first, then add the beans and Canadian bacon bits.

Stir in tomatoes.

Chop Chipotle pepper(s) into fine pieces. If you want to remove the seeds, slice the pepper lengthwise, open the flaps and scrape out the seeds. Do not use your new, pristine cutting board — it will be stained, I promise you.

Add Chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Two teaspoons of adobo and two peppers is about a two alarm chili.

Add tomato paste.

Gently combine all ingredients.

Add chicken stock. Season with Chipotle chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a gentle boil (bubbling).

Add shredded chicken.

Stir. Admire the pot of simmering goodness and blow it a kiss <3

Allow to simmer on low, covered, stirring occasionally for at least 3 hours. Yes. Three hours. And in all honesty, the longer the better. This chili is even more fabulous the next day. After simmering, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat, covered on the stove or in the microwave.

To serve, garnish with chopped green onions, cilantro and avocado or sour cream.

SUPER BOWL PARTY TIP:

Be the MVP at your Super Bowl party! Serve this Chipotle Chicken Chili up appetizer-style in “scoop” tortilla chips. Arrive at the Super Bowl party with a crockpot of chili, a couple bags of Scoops, a couple avocados, a serving tray and a pile of napkins. Then spice up the party by preparing a tray of bite-size Chipotle Chicken Chili “bowls” and pass them out. You’ll make new friends fast!

Search terms: super bowl recipes, super bowl party, super bowl xliv, super bowl food, chipotle, chicken, chili, chipotle chicken chili recipe, chipotle chicken chili recipes, white bean chicken chili recipe, classic chili recipe, best chili recipe, chicken chili, grilled chipotle chicken, chili with beans

Link to the Who Dat Spicin’ Up Super Bowl XLIV? blog post.
Link to the full Average Betty Archive.

LOOKING FOR MORE COMFORT IN A BOWL?
With busy schedules and temperatures dropping, save time and heat up a bowl of soup! Click an image for the complete recipe…

Butternut Squash Soup	Creamy Spinach Soup
Tortilla Soup	Black Bean Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup	Leek & Potato Soup

Link to the Who Dat Spicin’ Up Super Bowl XLIV? blog post.
Link to the full Average Betty Archive.

1 comment February 4th, 2010