Thursday, March 3, 2011

Chicken Enchilada Chili


Posting what's for dinner every day has really made me see patterns. And it looks like I use a Stephanie O'Dea recipe about once a week. Her crockpot creations are just so easy and always delish. This was the first one I tried when I first found her blog. And over time, have tweaked it slightly to suit our family. But really, not much is different. (I'll link her original version here.)




What you need:


1 1/2 pounds chicken. (Any cut, boneless or bones-in. Just fish out the bones/skin halfway through. I happened to have had some already cooked chicken that needed a purpose in life, so that's what I used this time.)
1 1/2 C. enchilada sauce (check labels carefully if gluten-free. I noticed that Rosarita is the only one that didn't have any sort of "modified food starch" or "modified corn starch". While those aren't a gluten issue, if made in the U.S., I don't find it appetizing to have something with the word "modified". That sounds very vague and unnatural. Ok, moving on...)
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, seasoned or unseasoned variety of your choice
1 (15 oz.) can of pinto beans, undrained (or 1/2 C. dried beans, soaked overnight)
1 (15 oz.) can of great northern or white beans, undrained (or 1/2 C. dried beans, soaked overnight)
1 onion, diced
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin


How you make it:


Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of your crock pot. Add beans, celery, onion, and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top. (Since I used cooked chicken this time, I just stirred it all in.)
Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low or until flavors have combined. If using dried beans, if may need longer to fully soften them. Since I was using canned beans and cooked chicken, it really was ready in about 2-3 hours. 
We ate it with Food Should Taste Good lime flavored tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Which made it really like chicken enchiladas. But WAAAAAAY easier. 
Oh, gotta mention, it's super delicioso as a salad the next day for lunch...top it on romaine lettuce, and some sliced avocado....oh yeah.







4 comments:

  1. Hmmm. Sounds good. Your kids liked it? That's my biggest concern. I might need to try it some time soon.

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  2. Oh yeah. They gobbled it up! The first time I made it with the spices originally specified in Stephanie's recipe, it was too spicy for us/them. So, I now make it as seen above. Do your kids like chicken enchiladas or tacos? They said this tasted just like tacos. Not really to me, 'cause it's not ground beef, but the spices are the same, so I can see why they said that. Good luck!

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  3. looks yummy! love your posts! I now have a bunch of new meals to try! yay! Keep it up!

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  4. Thanks Rochelle!!! Chime back in when you like something you've tried! I love hearing about when people make these! It's like someone's reading this other than me! Haha!

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