It’s Chili Weather!

We eat other hot foods all year long, but a hot bowl of chili in January just tastes better than it does in July.  With temps in the 30s and 40s this week, I just gotta share my favorite chicken chili recipe with you.

We've been making this in my family for years, and my parents even won a competition with it once.  I think there were only four entries that day at the fire department chili cook-off in the rural Nebraska town where they live, but it was a win nonetheless!

This takes less time to cook than some chilis, and that's one reason why I like it.

If you're conscious of sodium content like I am, you may want to use water instead of canned chicken broth.  And drain the beans to get rid of sodium. Then serve the chili with some sodium-packed chips!  Ha.

Chicken chili:

2 T olive oil
1.5 pounds cubed chicken breasts
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can diced tomoatoes
1 T ground chili pepper (or to taste!)
1 and 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp oregano leaves

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken, onion, and bell pepper and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes and serve.

Easy breezy!  If you want to pack on some extra calories, it goes great with cheddar cheese on top and some cornbread on the side.  And NFL playoffs.  And beer.

Food Network and the Today Show have more great chili recipes too.  Tis the season.