Chili with Chicken and Beans (Plus, Cheddar Cornbread)

You're going to wonder why I'm beginning this post by talking about peppers, but I promise it will all make sense in the end! When looking over our order contents for our fruit/vegetable box this week, I saw "mixed sweet peppers." Apparently, I don't know my peppers. I thought I was going to be getting an assortment of little red, orange, yellow, and green peppers, but instead we get a bag of small dark green peppers that are more spicy than sweet. I even searched for a "pepper guide" online and I still don't know what they are.

So, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with this bag of mystery peppers. Since they were a little spicy, Zack suggested using them as a substitute for jalapenos. Thus, I found an Ina Garten jalapeno cheddar cornbread recipe. Let me tell you, I never would have made a jalapeno cornbread recipe if it wasn't for those weird peppers, but it was definitely worth it. This cornbread is more like a dessert in that it has a good amount of all-purpose flour and unsalted butter; however, it is the perfect side for chili. Extra-sharp cheddar, chopped scallions, and minced peppers make it different from your ordinary cornbread. I basically had a bite of cornbread with every bite of chili, and it was amazing.

The chili with chicken and beans is from my Power Foods cookbook. I've been wanting to make this recipe for awhile because the picture in the book is so enticing. This chili is so chunky and delicious. That's the way I like my chili.

Heat olive oil and cumin over medium in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion, garlic, and pepper until soft and lightly golden. This recipe actually calls for bell pepper, but I just wanted to use up as many of my "mystery" peppers as I could. So I did. Push onion mixture to edges of pot, add more olive oil, increase heat, and add chicken. A second substitution: the recipe called for chicken breast halves cut into 1-inch pieces, but Zack and I thought ground chicken sounded good for chili, so that's what we used. Transfer chicken to a plate after cooked through, then add chili powder, dried oregano, and bay leaf. Then add chopped canned tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a simmer then add chicken stock, salt, kidney beans, and season with fresh cracked black pepper. Bring to a simmer again and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Return chicken and cook for another 15 minutes. Top with cilantro leaves for garnish (you know, it's fancier that way).


Now this meal was a "labor of love," as my mom would say. If you're looking for fast, this is not the recipe for you. It probably took a couple hours to prepare. And lots of chopping involved, which Zack kindly helped me with. That being said, it was so hearty and tasty. So worth it. We'll be having the chili and cornbread again tonight, and I plan to freeze the last two servings for another day. Just about three hours until Zack is home, and then I get to delve into another bowl of this goodness. Hooray for cooking and eating.