Chilly weather perfect time for chili on the table
At our house, chilly weather calls for chili on the table.
I like to vary my chili recipe from time to time. My friend and longtime assistant, Mauna Reynolds, doesn’t like beef, so I made some chicken chili simply by substituting cooked and chopped chicken breasts for the beef called for in one of my favorite chili recipes.
When cooking chicken chili, it is best if the chicken is cooked before adding it to the pot. I have made it with raw ground chicken and, in my opinion, it does not taste good.
THREE CHEESE CHICKEN CHILI
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chili peppers
1 teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cans (about 15 oz. each) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), undrained 2 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breasts
3 oz. cream cheese
¾ cup shredded Queso Blanco Velveeta cheese
¾ cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Heat olive oil and butter in large soup pot.
Add onions and sauté until tender, but not browned.
Add garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne, beans and broth. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and add chicken and cream cheese in small pieces. Stir and heat until cream cheese begins to melt.
Add white Velveeta and Pepper Jack cheeses. Stir until cheeses melt. Serve warm.
SIMPLE CHICKEN CHILI
2 teaspoons oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 cups cooked and finely chopped or shredded chicken breasts
1 (2.5 oz.) pkg. McCormick’s chili seasoning (see note below)
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chopped tomatoes
2 cans (about 15 oz. each) chili beans or pork and beans
5 ¼ cups water
Heat oil in large soup pot and add onions.
Sauté onions until tender but not browned.
Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes almost a gallon.
NOTE: I usually do not list the brand names of products but the McCormick’s seasoning is best in this chili.
Prudence Hilburn of Piedmont, Alabama, has won more than 30 national cooking awards and written several cookbooks, including “Simply Southern and More.” Write her at prudencehilburn@aol.com or visit prudencehilburn.com.