Quickie Chickie Chili

So the other evening I had a pound of fresh ground chicken breast and a half an hour before my hubby came home for dinner. This is what I came up with. This recipe is super quick and really easy to make.

When I make chili I love to just throw whatever sounds good into a pot and cook. You can mix up or adjust any of these ingredients to your liking. A can or two of white hominy also makes a nice addition.

Note: If you don’t have all of the different kinds of chili powder, you can just use regular chili powder. Though it won’t have the same depth of flavor. You can also add smoked paprika in place of the chipotle powder.

Prep Time: About 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 large onion - chopped

1 pablano pepper – seeded and chopped

1 tbs oil – for sautéing onion

1 pound fresh ground chicken breast or veggie crumbles

2 cans black beans – drained and rinsed

2 cans pinto beans – drained and rinsed

1 large can (about 25 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup beer or vodka – porter or brown ale works best, if you use beer

1 1/2 tbs ancho chili powder

1 1/2 tbs chili powder

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

1-2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1tbs plus 1 tsp cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro – if desired

Directions:
In a large pot, add oil and sauté onion and pepper until mostly tender. Add chicken and season with a pinch of salt, pepper and chili powder. Cook for about 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink – adding more oil as needed while cooking. If you are using veggie crumbles instead of the chicken, just cook the crumbles until heated through before adding other ingredients.

Add all remaining ingredients and seasonings except for cilantro. Stir together and cover with a lid – stirring occasionally. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until all flavors are incorporated and chili is bubbling hot. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro (if desired) and let sit covered for 3-5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!