No Longer Chilly (Chili) Outside

A few months ago I ran across an article with lots of chili recipes that looked pretty tasty. Unfortunately, it never seemed the right time to try them out. And unlike soup, you really can't have chili when it's not cold. I mean, can you?

Then it snowed last week while I was planning my menu. A lot. Perfect. No better time to try out a new chili recipe with 4 inches of fresh snow on the ground. Or even two or three! However, by the time the destined night to have my 'chili bar' rolled around, it was almost 70 degrees outside. Gotta love Utah weather!

It just didn't have the same feel, you know. Nevertheless, I found three very good, very different recipes to share with you.

This first recipe was the most mild. I left the onions out (nod to Emily). Also, I forgot and bought boneless meat so I skipped the pulling-it-off-of-the-bone step. However, I think it would be even more flavorful cooking it on the bone first. Nothing beats the taste of slow cooked chicken on the bone. The recipe is from BettyCrocker.com



Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

6 skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 lb)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups Progresso chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce (may be increased to 1/2 t. for more kick)
2 cans (15 -16 oz. each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (11 oz.) Green giant Niblest white shoepeg corn, drained
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Remove excess fat from chicken. In 3 1/2 to 4 qt slow cooker, mix onion, garlic, broth, cumin, orgeano, salt and pepper sauce. Add chicken

Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker. Use 2 forks to remove bones and shred chicken into pieces. Discard bones; return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 15 to 20 minutes or until beans and corn are hot.

Makes 8 servings


This next one was really flavorful and more robust. I couldn't find smoked chorizo sausage so mine didn't match the picture on the bettycrocker.com website. I just bought regular chorizo and it was one of the strangest cooking experiences I've had. The sausage instantly lost all of it's shaped and turned into soup. Nevertheless, it turned out well. I would love to hunt down the smoked chorizo and I think it would be even better. Oh, and I didn't use the wine. Although I have heard that for a good wine flavor to use 1/2 c. dark grape juice and 1/2 c. rice vinegar. I've done that before in other recipes and it works well.

Hot and Spicy Chorizo Chili

Ingredients:

1 can. (28 oz) Muir Glen organic whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7 oz. can)
2 lb. smoked chorizo sausage, sliced
3 large onions, chopped (3 cups..I only used about 1/2 this)
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 3/4 c. Progresso chicken broth
1 can 12 oz. lemon-lime cabonated beverage
1/2 c. dry red wine or additional chicken broth
1/2 c. water
3 cans (15 oz each) Progresso black beans, drained, rinsed
1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream

Directions:

In food processor or blender, place tomatoes and chiles. Cover; process, using quick on-and-off motions, until blended. Set aside.

Heat 5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, red pepper and coriander; cook and stir 1 minute.

Stir in tomato mixture, broth, carbonated beverage, wine, water, beans and chocolate. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 1 hour.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Note: You can use one can of black beans and one can of kidney if you prefer the difference in textures and color.

Makes 10 servings ( 1 1/2 c. each)


This next one was almost more of a soup but I liked it a lot. I would definitely increase the buffalo sauce as it was a little tame for me. Bettycrocker.com strikes again.



Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 can (28 oz. ) Muir glen organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz.) Progresso black beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup Progresso chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (from 12-oz jar)
Crumbled bleu cheese, if desired

Directions:

Spray 5 to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients except buffalo wing sauce and cheese.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.

Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Serve sprinkled with blue cheese.

Makes 6 servings (1 1/2 c. each)


Finally, the night I made the Buffalo Chicken Chili I made corn bread from a mix. But the night of the two chili choice; I made these biscuits.. They were a big hit. But for some reason they really went soggy the next day. Not quite sure why. I stored them in a ziploc bag and they might be better in a brown bag. This also came from bettycrocker.com The recipe could easily be halved. (Note made by another Foodie Family contributor: these biscuits were included last year on the blog. In that blog post, the big batch and the regular batch recipes were included if you don't want to have 40-48 biscuits on your hands! You can view the regular recipe here.)



Big Batch Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

Ingredients:

8 cups Original Bisquick mix
2 2/3 c. milk (I used some fat free 1/2 and 1/2 because I like the texture it gives biscuits)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 450. In 3 1/2 to 4 quart bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms; beat 30 seconds.

On ungreased cooked cookie sheets, drop dough by 40 to 48 spoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. In small bowl, mix butter and garlic powder; brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheets. Serve warm.

40-48 biscuits