Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Just what I needed: Chicken Chili


Chicken Chili
Favorite Brand Names Slow Cooker, Casseroles and More Copyright 2002

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground chicken or turkey I used chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 fresh jalapeño peppers,* chopped I used serranos
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, cut up, undrained
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) kidney beans, drained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, onion and bell pepper until chicken is no longer pink and onion is crisp-tender, stirring frequently to break up chicken. Stir in jalapeño peppers, tomatoes with juice, beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin and red pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes to blend flavors. To serve, spoon into 6 bowls and top with cheese.
__________________________________________

I've been in the mood for chili and it was also about time to try another ground chicken recipe.  I had a couple of packages of it in the freezer. Now, this particular recipe would be one where you could use just about any ground meat that you like - turkey, beef, pork or even venison - and you'd probably get good, somewhat similar results. 

I followed the recipe exactly except for having to use serrano chilies instead of jalapeños because that's what the store had.  Also, I used San Marzano tomatoes since I can finally get them here and I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about.  The chili turned out perfect but I can't say for sure if the San Marzano tomatoes made a difference.  They were definitely good canned tomatoes but I'm a little suspicious - I'm not sure if they were true Italian San Marzano tomatoes.  I'll have to do more research and experimenting on them before I decide if they are worth the extra money.

This had the right amount of heat for me - a  kick but it didn't linger too long.  That was just blind luck - I decided to add the two chilies with seeds and all.  I could have regretted that, depending on the peppers.  It had a good consistency and a bit of sweetness even though no sugar was added.  It had a good ratio of meat to beans but I think I could have stretched it with another can of beans.

Another successful ground chicken recipe. I'm going to add it to the ground chicken recipe round-up.

This is a monster of a cookbook. It's always been a favorite of mine. I've gotten quite a few good recipes from it (and one of my worst disasters - a crab enchilada that had cinnamon in the sauce. I still gag thinking about that.)

Question of the Day:  How hot (spicy) do you like your chili?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

CINNAMON in the SAUCE ???? On crab enchiladas !!!!! Double yuck. I can see how you could still have nightmares about that.

I can't take too much heat from peppers. I like the taste, but definitely in moderation.

Jan

Annie Jones said...

I like my chili to be spicy enough to add interest, but not spicy enough to hurt. I guess that's a little different for each person.

I've never heard of San Marzano tomatoes. What is special about them?

The Cookbook Junkie said...

Annie,

They are supposed to be less acidic that other varieties, although it's thought that only the ones grown in Italy are the good ones. I believe some are grown in California too. I'm not sure which ones I had.

THE IslandGirl and Makijo said...

San Marzanos are WONDERFUL as pizza sauce. I doubt I would ever waste their wonderful taste in chili (not to mention their expense!), but if it's all you buy then it's ok.

Cinnamon and chocolate are standard ingredients in Cincinnati chili. I have the recipe in my blog. It's a standard meal at our house on Super Bowl Sunday. Really wonderful!

A D said...

Just made this. Came out good! Didnt have chilies, skipped the cheese and served over rice..Thanks

Kathryn said...

I have never made chicken chilli but now that I have I will make it again. I took it to a pot luck and it was a great hit. Tasty but not heavy.
Thanks

Michael said...

Hello from two years in the future -- I've been making variations of this for the last couple months and it's turned out great. Ground turkey, ground beef...add some cayenne pepper spice when I don't have any jalapenos...etc. Had no idea how good chili can come out when you're working with less than an hour. Thanks a lot!