Sunday, January 13, 2013

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili



Doing a little research on one of my favorite appetizers, the jalapeño popper, I discovered that some form of deep-fried cheese-stuffed jalapeño has been around since at least the 1960s, where it was being served in restaurants in Baja California, specifically Ensenada, which Wikipedia informs me is nicknamed La Cenicienta del Pacífico or Cinderella of the Pacific.  With no further information on that, by the way.

Is it because Ensenada is the pretty stepsister that everyone abuses?  Does it have sister cities that get better press despite their ugliness?  A little further reading revealed that Ensenada does indeed have sister cities: Newport Beach, Redondo Beach and Riverside.  Each pretty and amazing in its own right.  So, no wiser about the nickname, let’s just get on to the recipe.  (And this is why your teachers tell you not to use Wikipedia as a reference, people: Gaps.)

This week Sunday Supper turns one year old!  In celebration of that momentous occasion, we have each chosen a recipe from another #SundaySupper blogger that caught our fancy during the past year, to give it a try.  Our Dubai weather has turned a bit chilly in the last couple of days (Yeah, I know, not actually chilly when compared to northern climes but BBC Weather is projecting a low of 45°F or 7°C on Wednesday night!  That’s COLD for us, folks!) so I chose to adapt a wonderfully warming recipe from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks, based on the aforementioned favorite, jalapeño poppers.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili

I left in the seeds and membranes from the peppers so that upped the warmth factor quite a bit but you can totally take them out if you can't do spicy. This chili gets a 10 out of 10 at our house and I will definitely be making it again. Perhaps even for Super Bowl Sunday. I’m kind of even thinking it could be eaten as a hot dip with tortilla chips.  It’s that seriously good.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 small onion
1 red bell pepper
4 fresh jalapeño peppers
4 garlic cloves
Sea salt
Black pepper
1 1/4 lb or 600g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 (15 oz or 425g) can diced or chopped tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups or 355ml chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz or 400g each) cannellini beans
2 cups or 300g frozen corn
8 oz or 225g cream cheese
5 slices bacon
1/2 cup or 50g sharp cheddar cheese
Handful green onion tops, optional for garnish



Method
Cut the stem end off of your jalapeños.  If you want to remove the seeds and membranes, to lessen the spicy factor, cut the peppers in half lengthwise and scrape them out with a teaspoon.

Cut your onion into halves.  Cut the tops off of the red bell pepper or capsicum Remove the seeds and membrane.  Cut it into quarters.


Pop all three into your food processor along with the cloves of garlic or chop them all with a sharp knife, until they are finely minced.



In a pot large enough to eventually hold all of your ingredients, sauté the vegetable mixture in a good drizzle of olive oil for about five to seven minutes, or until they are soft and the onion is translucent.


Cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season them lightly with salt and black pepper.


Drain and rinse your cans of cannellini beans.


Push the vegetables to the side of the pot and add in the pieces of chicken.  Lightly brown the chicken on all sides.



Add in the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.  Stir to thoroughly coat the chicken with the spices and vegetables.



Add the can of chopped tomatoes, rinsed beans and corn to the chicken pot.  Stir well and then add the chicken stock.  When it starts bubbling again, lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.




Meanwhile, grate your sharp cheddar cheese and fry your bacon until crispy.  Cut the bacon into little pieces.   Chop your onion tops, if using.



Cut your cream cheese in slices if it comes in one big block.  Smaller pieces will melt faster into the chili.  As you can see from my photo, our cream cheese, brand name: Kiri, comes in small blocks so, while it was a process to open up enough little packets, the cutting was not necessary.


Add in the cream cheese and stir until it is completely melted, about five minutes.  Remove from heat.


Ladle the chili into a bowl and top with crumbled bacon and cheese, adding a sprinkle of chopped onion tops for color, if desired.



Enjoy!


Have a look at some of the other Happy Birthday, #SundaySupper dishes that are being posted today! So much deliciousness!

Sunday Supper Appetizers:

Sunday Supper Soups and Breads:

Sunday Supper Main Dishes: 

Sunday Supper Veggies: 

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks: 

Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:

Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog



49 comments :

  1. This looks amazing! I remember thinking the same thing when Heather made it - it's making me hungry at 5:30 am! Great pick for this week!

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  2. Oh, my gosh...how did I miss this recipe! I'm so glad you made it...b/c now I MUST, too! What a perfect #SS anniversary dish!!!

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  3. Stacy, I love the fun facts you've sprinkled into this spice-lover's chili. (I can vouch for the breathtaking spots you mentioned in California.) Now I'll have to experience the wonder of your jalapeño popper chicken chili which you have made oh, so appealing with your great piccies =)

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  4. Hubby has been pestering me to make this for a while and after seeing your post I think I have been pushed over the edge. This is going to be making its way to my table soon. Now if only I hadn't committed to doing a meat-free month.

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  5. I'm so glad you made this! It is one of our winter favorites. When we have leftover my husband does eat it as a dip with tortilla chips and loves it! Yours looks delicious!

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  6. Man, doe this look GOOD!!!!!!!! I am all over this dish!!

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  7. Oh Kiri cheese!!! This is a fabulous recipe for a different kind of chili than I normally make. Can't wait to give it a go.

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  8. Lovely, simply lovely!! I could go for a big o' bowl of that right now!!

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  9. What a fun chili! This would be great for a Super Bowl Party!

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  10. OMY! I think my dad would love this soup, but for us I need to tone down the jalapenos. It def looks like one we should try though. Good luck with that chilly weather. We are back up in the high sixties again here in GA/US and the weather has been crazy!

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  11. I made this a month ago and I agree it could easily be used as a chip dip too. Amazing, complex flavors really impress here. We'll be making again as well.

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  12. What a great idea to make the poppers as a chili! This looks delicious and rich!

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  13. Love this recipe and all the delicious layers of flavors!!!Would love to try it :) Warms you up too :)

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  14. Paula @ Vintage KitchenJanuary 13, 2013 at 2:44 PM

    I didn´t know what jalapeño poppers were, but this recipe is amazing! I can´t wait to try it!

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  15. Oh my gosh. This looks so good. I must have missed this one before. If I made this I think my husband would eat the whole pot before I even got a bite.

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  16. This looks so good! I would have never thought to put cream cheese into chili but I love the idea! Can't wait to try it.

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  17. Hi Stacy! Look at all those flavours! This must be awesome! I couldn't take the heat though LOL! At first I thought it was a dip based on the colour, but now that I've seen the entire process - I think it can be a few things!

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  18. Oh wow. And I would love the extra heat from the insides of the jalapenos. Bring on the spicy!!

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  19. I had a shortlist of three recipes but this one ended up at the top in the end. There were so many delicious dishes to choose from! Thank you for your kind words!

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  20. You could make it for Super Bowl! After posting this, I ate some leftovers, rewarmed, as a dip with tortilla chips and it was amazing!

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  21. Thank you for your kind words! It is one of the favorite things I've made so far during the whole time I've been blogging.

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  22. Put it first on your list for February, Laura! You won't be sorry.

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  23. Just after I posted this, I warmed some leftovers and ate it with tortilla chips. Sooo good! It is definitely one of our favorites too now.

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  24. It looks like normal chili until you put the cream cheese in, but that's what transforms it into this rich dish. Definitely one of our favorites now!

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  25. If only you were closer, Tara! I still have one bowl left.

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  26. It would be! I warmed leftovers and ate them with tortilla chips. It's the chili that can also be a dip!

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  27. I saw that the southeast coast had turned warm again. Weird weather this year! Definitely scrape out the insides of the jalapeños then, but do give it a try. We loved it!

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  28. It's a keeper! I am imagining all kinds of uses for this. Baked potato stuffing, for instance. And definitely dip!

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  29. Can't take credit for the idea so I will say that it is brilliant! It was delicious and very rich.

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  30. I am a soup and chili person, Soni, so this was right up my alley. And I love a one pot meal. It will indeed warm you right up!

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  31. I am glad I started with my jalapeño popper research then, Paula. I thought there might be some worldwide readers who were not aware. Do try it! We loved it.

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  32. Make a double batch! There's no way he could work his way through that!

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  33. Me either, Kelli! But it definitely gives it the taste of jalapeño poppers. Before the cream cheese, it's just chicken chili.

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  34. Scrape the jalapeños out then, Lyn, but do give this a try. It's not the healthiest of meals but it's not that bad either because of the beans and corn and tomatoes, and a small bowl will fill you up.

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  35. I knew I liked you, Renee! That's my motto too.

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  36. Looks so hearty and decadent, perfect for winter

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  37. It was so thick and warming, Sarah. That's the truth.

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  38. That's how I felt when I first saw the recipe, Bobbi!

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  39. Stacy, wow oh wow! I love the step by step photos and your chili looks incredible - so thick, hearty, creamy, spicy, and jam-packed with veggies and chicken. This is a wonderfully adaptable recipe too - just throw in what you've got lying around and it'll still taste good.

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  40. Spicy and creamy! Looks and sounds great! Perfect for this time of the year here....

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  41. Thank you, Nancy! It was delicious the first night and even better as leftovers. And I think you are right about adding what you want. This would be a very forgiving soup for random additions.

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  42. What a colorful appetizer! This look so tempting and delicious. Thank you so much for the fantastic step by step pictures!

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  43. Glad you like it, Faye! If you can't find the right peppers in KK, just use the normal green ones there, but maybe only two instead of four. Jalapeños are not as spicy as the bird's eye chilis.

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  44. This looks so good and a perfect soup to warm you up!!! ~ Bea @ galactosemia in pdx

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