jalapeño popper chicken chili

I'm back in Iowa for Thanksgiving and to celebrate my mom's birthday (see the pretty flowers I got for her from Trader Joe's on my Instagram - @theblondestyleblog). Last night we got the first snowfall of the year and Mother Nature was not messing around - it's full on winter outside! So I'm staying in with my sister and one of our bests to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes go to 11-0 against Purdue. 

Fall or winter?

 

Unfortunately I'm away from my husband for another week, so before I left I made a big batch of Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili for him to have while I'm gone. I got this recipe from my best friend, Moe, so I don't know who else to credit except for her for this recipe. I know I talk about soups a lot, but I got a lot of requests on how to make this, so I figured what better place to share it than right here! Here's the recipe:

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili

 

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

5 jalapeno peppers diced, seeds removed (leave some seeds for extra heat)

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 + 1/4 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces*

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

pinch of crushed red pepper

1 (10 oz) can dice tomatoes with green chiles

1 + 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 (14 oz) can cannelloni or navy beans, drained

1 (14 oz) can corn, drained

8 ounces cream cheese**

1 pound bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled, divided

  

Directions:

In a large saucepan (deep enough for soup) heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion, jalapeno, and garlic until tender.

 

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the saucepan adding another tablespoon of olive oil as well. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Toss chicken and seasonings together and lightly brown chicken on all sides.

 

Stir in can of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, and cannelloni beans and increase heat to bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

 

Stir in cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in 1/2 of the crumbled bacon. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add more chicken broth if too thick.

Serve and garnish with cheddar cheese and the rest of the crumbled bacon.

 

*I used two 10 oz cans of chicken and it worked great. 

**I used light cream cheese to try to lighten it up a bit

Yummy!

 

I accidentally bought hot jalapeños and it was HOT but the hubs loved it, and that's all that mattered. This chili is perfect to warm you up on a snowy day with football on the TV. Do you guys know any twists on chili that you enjoy? Let me know in the comments below!

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