Chicken Chili

I love one pot meals. When you can get everything you need to eat in one pot that can ladled into large bowls, we are very happy. My husband's only complaint is that "our bowls aren't big enough." I would like to make everyone aware that our bowls have the word "oversized" in its Crate and Barrel description. One pot meals usually also allow me to use one of my two favorite kitchen items, either my red enameled Lodge dutch oven or the slow cooker. I will not be using the slow cooker for this meal, but I will certainly share some great crock pot meals later.

This chicken chili has the flavors of your traditional chili, but uses lean chicken breasts for a lighter stew and beans and hominy for heartiness. I also like to use different colored bell peppers for the sweetness they provide and they look pretty.

Be aware that this recipe makes A LOT. Halving some of the ingredients such as the beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, and using only 1 pepper will make a more reasonable quantity for those of you who aren't feeding armies or really hungry husbands.

Chicken Chili Recipe

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/8 -1/4 tsp. (depending on your heat preference) cayenne pepper
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (I usually use petite diced, but it's your choice)
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can hominy
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Chop and prep all vegetables first so that you're ready to go once you start cooking.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat just 1 tbsp. oil in large dutch oven or stock pot depending what you have on hand. Place chicken breasts in pot and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until nice and golden on the outside and is no longer pink in the middle. Take the chicken out and place on a clean plate or cutting board and set aside. Once cool enough to handle either cut chicken into bite-sized chunks or shred with 2 forks. Set chicken aside.

Add remaining tbsp. of oil to pot and add chopped onions, bell peppers, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and spices and cook for about 30 seconds more.

Add the crushed and the diced tomatoes with juices and stir, making sure to scrape bottom of pot. Add the beans, hominy, chicken stock and chicken and simmer chili on low for about 40 minutes. Be sure to taste chili and add salt and pepper as needed.

Turn off heat and add cilantro. Serve in large bowls. If you are someone who likes to put a dollop of sour cream on their chili, try a dollop of Greek or plain yogurt. If you like a sprinkle of cheese, pick a low-fat cheese that was made with 2% milk.