poblano | Hellbent Living

This white chili with chicken recipe is packed with flavor but has no heat so it is great for those who don’t like spicy foods. In fact, I came up with this recipe after a friend of mine asked me for a chili recipe that her kids would like. This one has plenty of flavor without the kick. And, it cooks up pretty quickly – 30 minutes, plus time for chopping, making it an easy weeknight family meal. It also freezes quite well making it perfect for a make-ahead dinner plan.

No tomatoes or tomato sauce are included in white chili, hence the color… or lack thereof. This recipe calls for ground chicken thighs, which provide enough fat to keep the meat flavorful and moist. Poblano peppers and Anaheim peppers add a nice touch of flavor without being spicy. Cumin and chili powder provide the main chili flavorings without the heat.

To make the chili, add peppers, onion and garlic to a pot with the EVOO and sauté for four minutes. Add ground chicken stir to mix all ingredients through and break up the chicken so it is in small pieces rather than chunks. Cook for four minutes.

White beans are used instead of the traditional red kidney beans, and a cup of corn helps round out the heartiness of the chili. Low sodium chicken stock serves as the liquid and masa harina is used at the end for thickening. The chili cooks in just 30 minutes in total.

Grated Monterey Jack cheese works as a nice complement, yet, the chili is flavorful enough that it doesn’t need really need it.

White Chili With Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lb ground chicken thighs

2 large poblano peppers – (about ¾ lb in weight)11oz

4 Anaheim peppers – 11oz

3 garlic cloves

1 onion

3 tbls EVOO

1.5 cups frozen corn, defrosted

1 15 oz can white beans, such as Northern

4 cups chicken stock, low sodium

2 teaspoons cumin

2.5 teaspoons chili powder

2.5 teaspoons kosher salt

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons masa harina

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Remove stems and seeds from peppers and dice. Dice onion and mince garlic. Add peppers, onion and garlic to pot with the EVOO and sauté for four minutes. Add ground chicken and cook for four minutes, with constant mixing to help break up the chicken. Then add the stock, beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt, and lime juice. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes. Mix the masa with 1/2 cup cooking liquid and mix through until masa is absorbed and add back to pot along with cilantro and mix through. Simmer, covered for five minutes. Serve with grated Monterey Jack cheese, optional.

Makes 6-8 servings

I like red meat. I know it isn’t as healthy as chicken or fish, but as I say, the Hellbent Living way is eating healthy 85%-90% of the time. Which leaves a little room to splurge. This recipe isn’t actually that big of splurge in my book…or blog. In fact, when I make this recipe I count it as an 85% meal not the 10%-15% of meals where I’m really splurging. I often save those for when I am eating out or having a dinner party. This recipe calls for my Pepper Lime Cilantro Marinade which is low in oil and has no sugar. I portion out 4-5 oz for my serving so I do not overdo it with the calories.

Flank steak is a tough piece of meat so it needs tenderizing. The lime juice in the marinade works well to break down the protein and tenderize the meat. This recipe calls for 2 lbs of flank steak. It can serve 4-8 people depending on serving sizes. I use half the marinade to tenderize and flavor the meat before grilling and the other half as a salsa served on top of the meat. I serve the grilled flank steak with grilled onions and red peppers, and warm corn tortillas. Rice would also go well with this dish instead of the tortillas.

Flank Steak with Pepper Lime Cilantro Marinade-Salsa

Ingredients:

2 lbs flank steak

Pepper Lime Cilantro Marinade

Serving suggestions:

3 red bell peppers
2 onions
corn tortillas

Make marinade. Put flank steak in a gallon size plastic bag, add half the marinade and move it around the bag to cover the steak. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

To grill: Take steak out of refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Heat grill and to medium high and grill 10 minutes on each side. While the steak is grilling, cut up 3 red bell peppers in strips and slice 2 onions and put those on the grill in tin foil…and grill until they are soft.

Warm tortillas, if serving.

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Tag Archives: poblano

White Chili With Chicken

Grilled Flank Steak with Pepper Lime Cilantro Marinade