It’s What’s for Dinner!

I keep crossing my fingers, hoping it will eventually be sweater weather, aka chili weather, but Mother Nature seems to have other things in mind for the Texas Hills. However, whatever the weather, this chili will brighten your day or ease your load, no matter the time of year. It is basically hands-off except for shredding the chicken breast at the end of the cooking time.

I bumped into this chili years ago under the name Crack Chicken Chili – it was supposedly so good that it was like crack, you would become addicted. The name was a turnoff for me; I guess I am old enough and wise enough not to appreciate the comparison, but never too old to know that this recipe is EASY! TASTY! And could be habit-forming. Everything is better with bacon, cream cheese, or Ranch Dressing seasoning, and this recipe has all three flavor bombs.

Best of all, your oven or crock pot does all the work while you do whatever you want. As to crockpots, after my third one broke, I ditched the idea of a crock pot and discovered that a good Dutch oven placed in a conventional oven at 200 degrees for 4 – 6 hours would get me the same result as a crockpot would. So the next time you have no time to cook, open a few cans, tear open a package, add some seasonings, throw in chicken breasts and cream cheese, and a few hours later, it is – What’s for dinner!

Creamy, Cheesy Chicken Chili

Serves 8

Chicken Chili

• 1 (15-oz) can corn, drained
• 1 (15-oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can RoTel tomatoes and green chilies, undrained – or if tomatoes aren’t your thing add three 4-ounce cans of chopped green chilis-mild or hot
• 2 cups chicken broth (I use salted)
• 1 cup cooked chopped bacon
• 1 package ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 large (approximately 11 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (8-oz) package Original Philadelphia cream cheese (do not use low fat)

• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping

Toppings

• Shredded Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese, optional
• Fried tortilla strips, optional
• Diced tomato, optional
• Diced avocado, optional

Preheat your oven to 200-degrees F.

Stir together first 9 ingredients in a Dutch oven.  Place chicken breasts on top of this mixture and then place cream cheese on top of chicken.

Cover with lid and place in your oven for 4 – 6 hours (or in a crockpot on low for 6 – 8 hours.) Remove chicken from Dutch oven and shred with 2 forks. Return to Dutch oven and stir cheese into chili. Serve when you are ready, adding any of all of the toppings listed (or no toppings at all). Serve with a green salad and your favorite cornbread recipe.

For another Mexican themed dinner that is fast and easy, click on the link below:

Recipes – Ultra Fast and Delicious Mexican Themed Dinner