Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

I'm adding another recipe from last week because I'm really excited about getting this blog going, and it's already getting a lot of attention!

This is another recipe off the Whole Foods website, but this one I did modify a little more than the pea soup.  It's not originally a slow cooker recipe, but I made it into one.  Because it's made with ground chicken (or turkey), it's a lot lighter and healthier.  If you prefer beef, then use that, I'm sure it would be a fine substitute. Once again, I'll post the actual recipe, and then my modifications.  

This image courtesy of the Whole Foods website.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Cayenne powder to taste
1 pound ground chicken breast (ground turkey may also be used)
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup mild or medium salsa
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels, or 3 cups fresh corn kernels
Salt to taste
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Stovetop Method:

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are translucent. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken. Stir to break up and brown for 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, 1 cup water, salsa and corn. Season with salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until flavors have melded and chili is thick. Stir in cilantro and serve.

My Modifications:

As I said earlier, I prefer my slow cooker so I just put all the ingredients in there (minus the olive oil since I wasn't cooking on the stove), stirred, covered the pot, and put it on high for a few hours, and just kept an eye on it, stirring occasionally when it looked like it needed it. I did cook the chicken in a skillet first, broke it up into smaller pieces as it cooked, drained off any fat and then put it in the mix.  Everything else was raw/uncooked.  I wanted a bigger batch so I doubled everything except the corn.  I added black beans, and gauged the amount of beans and corn by eye instead.  I used most of a small can of beans (16. oz I believe, Goya Brand), but just add each to your liking.  I went too heavy on the corn on another recipe by mistake and the hubby politely requested I use less for future recipes.  Gotta keep him happy :)  As far as the chili and cayenne powder, I would say keep it on the lower side if you don't like a lot of heat or add more if you want a lot.  I pretty much stuck to the listed amount of chili powder, but I didn't keep track of how much cayenne I used, but it wasn't a lot.  My husband liked the amount of spice, but it was the kind that would kind of surprise you after you had the bite in your mouth for a second.  You could probably also use a milder salsa.  You can mix up the flavor by trying some different kinds of salsa.  I used a southwestern variety.  Comments on the original website show people substituting the salsa with different fresh peppers and diced tomatoes, so that's also an option.

The Verdict:

Again, another one we loved.  The double batch ended up being quite a bit, but a single batch would have been silly in the large crock pot, and probably wouldn't have made enough for us for a week.  I ended up bringing some to work to share with the boys I work with and they loved it too.  I really liked the use of ground chicken.  It made it a lighter chili, as weird as that sounds.  This one also lasted us through the entire week, and we still had a little left, even after I took some to share.  So if you have a big party to go to and need a chili recipe or need to make something to last a few days or more for work meals, this one doubled makes plenty for everyone!  If you're just doing it at home as a one or two night meal, the single batch would probably be just enough. 

Nutritional Info:

Again, per the Whole Foods website. Per serving (about 13oz/357g-wt.): 330 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 65mg cholesterol, 810mg sodium, 39g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 29g protein.

Click here to download a printable page for this recipe!