Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Chili--Nikki-- February 2010

I'm not usually a big chili eater-- a childhood hatred of kidney beans led to an irrational dislike of chili in general. I've overcome my bean phobia, but I still don't actively seek out chili. However, I was perusing one of my favorite websites (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com) , and found a recipe that appealed to me. Coincidentally, it was in keeping with this month's theme! Serendipity, baby.
The ingredients


1 1/2 pounds chicken ( I went with thighs-- it's your call)
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning (I used the chili-ready Red Gold Diced tomatoes)
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans
1 onion, diced
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin


Essentially, you simply open all the cans, dump it into the crock pot, toss the frozen chicken on top, and then add the diced celery and onion as well as the spices. Here's a little photo montage of the various stages:



A sidebar: Natalie came into the kitchen as I was chopping the onion, and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was preparing chili for the cooking challenge, and and told her she would get to deliver a thumbs-up or thumbs-down verdict on the finished product. She got close to the chopped onions, and said, very seriously, "Mom. Those are a THUMBS-DOWN." And then asked me to take a picture of her opinion:


Anyway. Once you've got everything in the crockpot, crank that baby up to "High" and let it simmer for 6-8 hours. I left the house to study, and when I got home, I found this:


I gave it a good stir to shred the chicken, and it was good to go. We added a little shredded cheese and a little plain yogurt (as I have no sour cream in the house), and tasted the final product. The verdict?



We all really liked it. I was AMAZED that Natalie ate it, but she did! It made a ton, so I'm glad we liked it, as we'll be eating it for lunch for the next few days. I really liked the fact that the only ingredients I didn't already have on hand were the enchilada sauce and the celery. Other than that, it was strictly from the pantry. I think I might try it with black beans next time, and I might amp up the cumin and the chili powder a bit, but overall it was delicious. Thanks, Crockpot Lady!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Chili--Nikki-- February 2010

I'm not usually a big chili eater-- a childhood hatred of kidney beans led to an irrational dislike of chili in general. I've overcome my bean phobia, but I still don't actively seek out chili. However, I was perusing one of my favorite websites (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com) , and found a recipe that appealed to me. Coincidentally, it was in keeping with this month's theme! Serendipity, baby.
The ingredients


1 1/2 pounds chicken ( I went with thighs-- it's your call)
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning (I used the chili-ready Red Gold Diced tomatoes)
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans
1 onion, diced
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin


Essentially, you simply open all the cans, dump it into the crock pot, toss the frozen chicken on top, and then add the diced celery and onion as well as the spices. Here's a little photo montage of the various stages:



A sidebar: Natalie came into the kitchen as I was chopping the onion, and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was preparing chili for the cooking challenge, and and told her she would get to deliver a thumbs-up or thumbs-down verdict on the finished product. She got close to the chopped onions, and said, very seriously, "Mom. Those are a THUMBS-DOWN." And then asked me to take a picture of her opinion:


Anyway. Once you've got everything in the crockpot, crank that baby up to "High" and let it simmer for 6-8 hours. I left the house to study, and when I got home, I found this:


I gave it a good stir to shred the chicken, and it was good to go. We added a little shredded cheese and a little plain yogurt (as I have no sour cream in the house), and tasted the final product. The verdict?



We all really liked it. I was AMAZED that Natalie ate it, but she did! It made a ton, so I'm glad we liked it, as we'll be eating it for lunch for the next few days. I really liked the fact that the only ingredients I didn't already have on hand were the enchilada sauce and the celery. Other than that, it was strictly from the pantry. I think I might try it with black beans next time, and I might amp up the cumin and the chili powder a bit, but overall it was delicious. Thanks, Crockpot Lady!

Balti Chili – Sara – Feb ’10 Chili Challenge

I’ve been on an Indian food kick lately; I decided to alter a Balti Bhuna recipe for this challenge.

Recipe:

Diced Tomatoes 42 oz (3 14 oz cans) (or tomato sauce if you prefer)

Onion – 2 medium

Ground Beef – 1 lb

Noodles – of your preference & amt

Ghee/Vegetable Oil – 3 tbsp

Garlic Paste – 3 tbsp

Ginger Paste – 3 tbsp

Paprika – 1 tbsp

Turmeric – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin – 1 tbsp

Coriander 1 ½ tsp

Chili Powder ¼ - ½ tsp (to liking)

Cardamom ¾ tsp

Bay Leaf – 3 leafs

Cloves - ¼ - ½ tsp (to liking)

Salt – 2 tsp

Pepper - ¼ - ½ tsp (to liking)

I cannot lie; measuring out the spices for this recipe is a pain. But it’s really pretty when you lay them all out & make for a really tasty dish! See, how pretty!

I sauté the onions in the ghee and add in garlic & ginger pastes for a few minutes. Once their nice and tender I add in the tomatoes and spices. Let it simmer for a good 30 minutes and then remove the bay leaves. I also cook the meat separately, just cause. I use my immersion blender on the sauce:

After that I add in meat and noodles and let it simmer for another 15 minutes or so. (I just made a small batch of egg noodles to add in.)

Voila! Really yummy!

Balti Chili – Sara – Feb ’10 Chili Challenge

I’ve been on an Indian food kick lately; I decided to alter a Balti Bhuna recipe for this challenge.

Recipe:

Diced Tomatoes 42 oz (3 14 oz cans) (or tomato sauce if you prefer)

Onion – 2 medium

Ground Beef – 1 lb

Noodles – of your preference & amt

Ghee/Vegetable Oil – 3 tbsp

Garlic Paste – 3 tbsp

Ginger Paste – 3 tbsp

Paprika – 1 tbsp

Turmeric – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin – 1 tbsp

Coriander 1 ½ tsp

Chili Powder ¼ - ½ tsp (to liking)

Cardamom ¾ tsp

Bay Leaf – 3 leafs

Cloves - ¼ - ½ tsp (to liking)

Salt – 2 tsp

Pepper - ¼ - ½ tsp (to liking)

I cannot lie; measuring out the spices for this recipe is a pain. But it’s really pretty when you lay them all out & make for a really tasty dish! See, how pretty!

I sauté the onions in the ghee and add in garlic & ginger pastes for a few minutes. Once their nice and tender I add in the tomatoes and spices. Let it simmer for a good 30 minutes and then remove the bay leaves. I also cook the meat separately, just cause. I use my immersion blender on the sauce:

After that I add in meat and noodles and let it simmer for another 15 minutes or so. (I just made a small batch of egg noodles to add in.)

Voila! Really yummy!

CHILI VERDE- CHILI – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

My first job out of high school was working in a Tex-Mex restaurant.  On the menu was “Chili Verde”, and it was good.  Unfortunately, the “Chili Verde” was not kept on subsequent menus.  I believe, though, that the following recipe is just as good as we used to serve, and incredibly easy to make.

1.5lbs Pork (cut into cubes)

1.5lbs Beef (cut into cubes)

3 onions diced

5 cloves garlic minced

28oz LaVictoria green enchilada sauce

10oz Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

1 cup red wine

2 tsp salt

1tsp cumin

Bunch of cilantro chopped

Sautee the onions and garlic until soft.  Add meat and cook until medium to medium well.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Add remaining ingredients (except cilantro).  Bring to a boil.

Simmer 30 minutes.  Add Cilantro just before serving.

You could also just use a crock pot.  The LaVictoria enchilada sauce is mild.  If you like a little more heat you could use a spicier green enchilada sauce or a salsa verde. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

The next day you can drain off the juice and make yourself an awesome burrito.

CHILI VERDE- CHILI – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

My first job out of high school was working in a Tex-Mex restaurant.  On the menu was “Chili Verde”, and it was good.  Unfortunately, the “Chili Verde” was not kept on subsequent menus.  I believe, though, that the following recipe is just as good as we used to serve, and incredibly easy to make.

1.5lbs Pork (cut into cubes)

1.5lbs Beef (cut into cubes)

3 onions diced

5 cloves garlic minced

28oz LaVictoria green enchilada sauce

10oz Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

1 cup red wine

2 tsp salt

1tsp cumin

Bunch of cilantro chopped

Sautee the onions and garlic until soft.  Add meat and cook until medium to medium well.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Add remaining ingredients (except cilantro).  Bring to a boil.

Simmer 30 minutes.  Add Cilantro just before serving.

You could also just use a crock pot.  The LaVictoria enchilada sauce is mild.  If you like a little more heat you could use a spicier green enchilada sauce or a salsa verde. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

The next day you can drain off the juice and make yourself an awesome burrito.

Pineapple Pork Crock-Pot Chili - Brooke

The chili challenge coincided with my work’s annual soup lunch, so I decided to combine efforts. This was a first try at the recipe— tore it out of a magazine years ago (Taste of Home, I believe), double-checked online, and made some modifications described below. The recipe is doubled from the original because I needed to serve a big crowd.

So again: This is a double-size recipe that will completely fill a 4-quart crock pot. Halve it for a more family-size amount.















Ingredients for (a massive amount of) Pineapple Pork Crock-Pot Chili
2 pounds lean boneless pork, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained (or use canned)
1 ½ cups hot water
2 (14 ½ oz.) cans diced tomatoes (optional: with garlic)
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple chunks
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp. chili powder, or to taste
2 Tbsp. cumin, or to taste
2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. SECRET INGREDIENT: Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
Prep time is about 15 minutes; cook time is 9 hours. Serves 8 to 12.

Directions:
Drain the juice out of the pineapple and into your 4-quart crock pot, reserving the pineapple chunks (which will be added at the end). Add to the crock pot: cubed pork, beans, hot water, tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste, chilies, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, SECRET INGREDIENT. Mix well. Cover and cook on the low heat setting for about 9 hours until the pork and beans are tender, stirring once or twice if possible. Stir in the pineapple chunks and serve.

(Note: The crock pot will be very full. If you are concerned about it bubbling over, drain a bit of the liquid and add it back in during the last hours of cooking.)

Result: The taste of this chili is sweet and tropical, in a porky way. Seemed like it needed more salt to balance the flavor, and I would have liked it to be a little more garlicky. I'm definitely going to try this again, in a smaller batch.

My changes/notes to the original recipe:
About onion: using both red and white adds color and flavor. About tomatoes: here’s a plug for Red Gold tomato products, family-grown in my home state of Indiana since 1949. About pineapple: the chunks were really big, so you might want pineapple “pieces” instead. About beans: the original recipe doesn’t say to do so, but definitely soak the beans first, or use canned beans instead-- because I didn't do this, mine were just slightly not completely cooked through... ugh. Finally, I added a SECRET INGREDIENT, which is Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce. The Sauce is The Boss!

Pineapple Pork Crock-Pot Chili - Brooke

The chili challenge coincided with my work’s annual soup lunch, so I decided to combine efforts. This was a first try at the recipe— tore it out of a magazine years ago (Taste of Home, I believe), double-checked online, and made some modifications described below. The recipe is doubled from the original because I needed to serve a big crowd.

So again: This is a double-size recipe that will completely fill a 4-quart crock pot. Halve it for a more family-size amount.















Ingredients for (a massive amount of) Pineapple Pork Crock-Pot Chili
2 pounds lean boneless pork, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained (or use canned)
1 ½ cups hot water
2 (14 ½ oz.) cans diced tomatoes (optional: with garlic)
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple chunks
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp. chili powder, or to taste
2 Tbsp. cumin, or to taste
2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. SECRET INGREDIENT: Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
Prep time is about 15 minutes; cook time is 9 hours. Serves 8 to 12.

Directions:
Drain the juice out of the pineapple and into your 4-quart crock pot, reserving the pineapple chunks (which will be added at the end). Add to the crock pot: cubed pork, beans, hot water, tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste, chilies, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, SECRET INGREDIENT. Mix well. Cover and cook on the low heat setting for about 9 hours until the pork and beans are tender, stirring once or twice if possible. Stir in the pineapple chunks and serve.

(Note: The crock pot will be very full. If you are concerned about it bubbling over, drain a bit of the liquid and add it back in during the last hours of cooking.)

Result: The taste of this chili is sweet and tropical, in a porky way. Seemed like it needed more salt to balance the flavor, and I would have liked it to be a little more garlicky. I'm definitely going to try this again, in a smaller batch.

My changes/notes to the original recipe:
About onion: using both red and white adds color and flavor. About tomatoes: here’s a plug for Red Gold tomato products, family-grown in my home state of Indiana since 1949. About pineapple: the chunks were really big, so you might want pineapple “pieces” instead. About beans: the original recipe doesn’t say to do so, but definitely soak the beans first, or use canned beans instead-- because I didn't do this, mine were just slightly not completely cooked through... ugh. Finally, I added a SECRET INGREDIENT, which is Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce. The Sauce is The Boss!