Spicy Southwest Chicken Chili

Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if I hadn't been raised in south Texas. I like to think that my taste buds would have been sorely missing out on some of the best food in the world. Spicy food and I have a beautiful love/hate relationship going on at the moment. Ever since about week 14 in my pregnancy my mouth and stomach have been at war over the suitability of spice in my life. Luckily for my mouth it wins 10 out of 10 times. Sorry tummy.

• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 fresh Serrano peppers, finely chopped (remove seeds for less or more heat!)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon mexican chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 32oz container chicken broth
• 1 can black beans, drained 
• 1 can great northern beans, drained
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 2 teaspoons cilantro
• sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo for garnish. 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook ground chicken until no longer pink. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, Serrano peppers, cumin, chili powder and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth and beans. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix cilantro last 5 minutes of cooking.
2. Just before serving, top with your favorite toppings or if at a gathering, place topping options in bowls and let your guests choose!

Our Ratings: 

 

Mama F: 9 - I love chili, especially on cool winter nights. I would have liked it to be more spicy, but the kids would have cried. :( 

Daddy F: 8 - For me it was the perfect amount of spice. Enjoyed the healthier chicken option over the traditional beef. 

Fuller Kids: 5 - Enjoyed the chili. My 4 year old said it was a good spice level, I think it may have still been a bit too heated for the 18 month old.

 

Lucky the Dog: 7 - A little too spicy for her. She ate it and thought it was fabulous (the humans regretted the canine ingestion later that evening when Lucky was a little on the gassy side.)

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