Hello and Happy New Year!! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and were able to safely enjoy it with at least family, if not a few friends too.
Our daughter, Claire, came home from college the first week of November and stayed until the day before yesterday. Over the long break, and in spite of Covid, we were able to do some fun things like going to Canton and attending the Gift and Home Accessories market in Dallas........YES, we were masked and hand sanitized for those outings, except when we removed our mask for photo ops. Of course, we stayed home a lot and during that time we did lots of cooking. I'm guessing all of our kitchens have seen more than their fair share of action in the last ten months!! Anywho, one recipe we made time and time again is Lake Gage Chili from the Vera-Bradley-Cooking-Friends cookbook. I'm going to share my tweaked version, which is just omitting one 16-ounce jar of salsa. This recipe is great on its own or paired with a sandwich. It is easy, hearty, and a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients:
2 large bone-in split chicken breast or 4 to 6 boneless breast, cooked and shredded
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 (12-ounce) can or bottle of beer
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with shredded Monterey Pepper-Jack Cheese, fresh cilantro, and chopped red onion. Cilantro and onion optional, cheese a must!! Serves 6.
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the onions and peppers. Cook 10 minutes until soft, and then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Add the beans.......
Add chicken broth, beer, tomatoes, corn, and cumin. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 20 minutes. This is where you would add the jar of salsa if you so choose.
While the soup is simmering, I shred my chicken breast. I like poaching bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts for recipes. In my opinion, they retain moisture better than boneless, skinless breasts. Yes, you have a few bones and skin to dispose of, but I think the extra work is worth it!!
Add the cooked chicken, cover, and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
Serve in a large soup bowl and top with Pepper-Jack cheese.
This recipe comes together in less than an hour and makes great left-overs. I hope you will make it and if you do, please let me know how you like it!!
It feels great to be back and sharing. I have several home projects on the horizon, some smaller than others, but I look forward to sharing those in the near future!! As always, thank you for stopping by!!
Julie