Southwestern Chicken Chili

Sometimes I struggle over how to name a recipe. I actually waste precious energy worrying that the title won’t capture exactly what it is.

No more. KISS all the way (that’s Keep It Simple, Stupid for you newbies).

Yes, this is chili. There are southwestern flavors, beans, and green chilies. But there is also rice. Why? Because A) we love rice, and 2) It makes this nice and thick, especially the second day.

So forgive me this departure from the traditional definition of chili.Though it might not fly in Texas, here in good ‘ol New England, it works, like, wicked good.

A few tips:
Use fresh chicken tenders and simply cooked them in the simmering broth. If you happen to have cooked chicken already, great, but no need to have it here.

• Consider pre-chopped frozen onions as a time saver. No shame in that.
• The green pepper is nice for color, but wouldn’t be missed, so don’t stress if you don’t have it.
• I rely on frozen brown rice which can be zapped in the microwave for 3 minutes then added.
• This is not spicy. If you want the heat, add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and/or replace the green chilies with jalapeno. Then invite me over, ’cause that’s not allowed here.
• Make this whenever you’ve got the time (i.e. early morning before anyone’s awake, 10:00 pm the night before, right before pick-up time). Its flavors will get richer, its consistency thicker, as it sits. Then just reheat over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble.

We had this on a baseball night with truly awesome cornbread (minus the cheese and bacon, and still awesome!) A great, filler-up to fuel a night of cheering on my boys in blue 🙂

Southwestern Chicken Chili
Serves 6-8

Prep time: ~20 minutes     Cook time: ~20 minutes

1/2 large Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies
1 15-oz can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can corn, drained and rinsed
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cooked rice

1) In a large nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and pepper for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and green chilies, and saute for another minute.

2) Add the beans, corn, broth, chicken, and rice. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for ~15 minutes. Chicken should be cooked all the way through (no pink in the middle).

3) Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve with corn bread or tortilla chips, or any of your favorite chili toppings (cheese, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce).