My Crockpot Chicken Chili and My Other Crockpot Chicken Chili

I love chili, especially my Triple Secret Chili that simmers away on the stove for hours and fills the whole house with the aroma of... well, that's a secret.

This Crockpot Chili, on the other hand, is a busy mommy's (or granny's) best friend.  Dump a few simple ingredients into the crockpot in the morning, and dinner practically makes itself.  It's hearty, creamy, tangy and a wee bit spicy.  Best of all, it's easy.  But that's not all (as they say in the infomercials...)




This is also a two-fer recipe that, with a few simple ingredient modifications, lets you create two completely different versions.  Let's start with the classic.  (Scroll to the bottom for recipe #2 change-ups.)

Chicken

Place 2 or 3 chicken breasts in the bottom of a crockpot.  Frozen breasts work fine in this recipe, so if you forgot to thaw out the chicken last night, as I usually do...

Veggies

Now dump in a can of black beans (drained), a can of corn (drained), a can of diced tomatoes (not drained) and a can of green chiles (not drained.)

Spices

Toss in a packet of dry Ranch dressing mix, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of onion powder and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Pour in about 1/2 a cup of chicken broth or water.  Set the crockpot to low, and cook for 6-8 hours.  Stir occasionally to incorporate the ingredients and shred the chicken.

Cheese

About half an hour before serving, drop in an 8 ounce brick of cream cheese.  Let it get warm and melty, and then stir it in.  Make sure the cheese is completely incorporated and the chicken is nicely shredded.

Accompaniments

Ladle the chili on top of some cooked rice, and top with crushed tortilla chips.  Toss on some sliced jalapeno's if you enjoy the punishment... and dig in.


And since I promised you a two-fer...

Go ahead and switch things up a bit with the following substitutions to make

White Chicken Chili

• In place of the can of tomatoes, use a can of cream of chicken soup and a cup of chicken broth.
• Substitute a can of white beans instead of black beans.
• Cut the spice measurements in half.  (Without the tomatoes to tone them down, the spices can be a bit intense.)

Tastes like you slaved over the stove all day, but...   well, let's just keep that our secret.  {wink}