Thursday, February 4, 2016

Creamy Chicken Chili



A few weeks ago my friend Sarah posted a recipe for Creamy Chicken Chili and I immediately knew I had to make it. I have a Chicken Chili recipe that I make and really enjoy - it is full of different kinds of peppers, tomatillos and beans - but something about turning that into a creamy dish sounded so, so good.


I read through the recipe and decided to rewrite it a bit. While I have used canned chilies, I prefer fresh. I also decided to roast half of the chilies for a deeper flavor.

Instead of chunks of chicken, I decided to go with shredded. Additionally, I mashed half of the beans to add to the creamy texture which let me cut back on the amount of cream and sour cream I used. I adjusted the spices to our liking, as well.

This chili is completely different from my chicken chili, and it's not just the cream. This one was smokier and had deeper flavors and textures. While I still really love my original recipe, I loved a lot about this one too and honestly don't know which I prefer! So I'll just say that I'm really happy that I now have 2 great chicken chili recipes to choose from, and I have a feeling I'm going to have to flip a coin to choose between the two the next time I want chicken chili!

Creamy Chicken Chili
Adapted from: A Taste of Home Cooking
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds
  • 1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper
  • 1 sm onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Poblano pepper, cut in half (seeds removed if you don't want it to be too spicy). Half chopped, the other half kept in one piece for roasting.
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, cut in half (again, seeds removed if you don't want it to be too spicy). Half chopped, the other half kept in one piece for roasting.
  • 1 can Great Northern or Canellini beans (the original recipe calls for 2 cans - this is your preference)
  • 14.5 oz low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 c light cream
  • 1/2 c light sour cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Handful of cilantro
  • Grated Monterrey Jack cheese for serving
  • Optional for serving: tortilla chips, rice, quinoa
Directions
  • Place the half Poblano and half jalapeno over an open flame (I do this on the grate of my gas stove; in the warm weather I would use my grill). Keep on the flame until the skin is completely charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove from the bowl and peel off the skin. Chop and set aside.
  • Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cayenne.
  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook 2-3 minutes per side, letting it get nicely browned.
  • Add the onions and garlic; saute 2 minutes.
  • Add all of the chopped peppers (roasted and raw); stir.
  • Move everything to the outside edges of your pot and add half of the beans. Using a handheld potato masher or back of a large fork, roughly mash the beans. 
  • Add the rest of the beans and the broth; bring to a simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with 2 forks or in your stand mixer. Return the chicken to the pot and stir. 
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and sour cream. 
  • Return the pot to the stove over low heat and adjust salt if needed. Stir in about 2 Tbsp of the chopped cilantro. 
  • Serve topped with cheese and cilantro over rice or quinoa, or with tortilla chips.

Print this post

3 comments: