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:
