I love a nice bowl of chili on a cold winter day. I usually make the pork green chile posole that’s in my Tasting Colorado cookbook. But sometimes I want something a bit lighter. I also happened to have a bunch of cooked chicken breasts leftover from an event that I didn’t want to waste, so this seemed like a good plan.To me one of the greatest things about making chili is that you put all of this stuff into a pot, and after it simmers for a couple of hours it miraculously comes together into a succulent stew. I often throw whatever leftover vegetables I have laying around into the pot so in this version I’ve included diced bell peppers along with the chile peppers. You can also add celery, mushrooms, or fresh tomatoes. Don’t be tempted to cut this down to make a smaller batch – you’ll want to pour this into single or family size containers to freeze for the next time you want to pull out something belly warming in a hurry. Serve it with a simple green salad and some crusty bread and you’ll be happy, I promise.
- 6 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 2 medium onions, diced small
- 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 4 cups diced bell peppers
- ½ pound finely chopped chile peppers (I used mild Anaheims, but use what you like)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 cups cooked beans of your choice
- ¼ cup cornmeal, optional
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Add the chicken to a large stockpot and add the onion, tomatoes, peppers, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 1 hour. Add the beans and gently stir together and simmer for another hour.
- If you want the chili slightly thicker, stir in the cornmeal and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro and other garnishes of your choice. Leftovers freeze well