Creamy Chicken & Charred Veggie Chili

Maine has taken a beating from recent snowstorms and there has been a serious need for comfort foods. I want a hot bowl in my hands and I want it full of spicy, creamy, heart-warming food packed with protein and nutrients and I want it to taste damn delicious. This recipe knocks each and every one of those things out of the park....

This chili starts with slow cooking chicken thighs in salsa to create tender, flavorful shreds of meat. Then you add roasted poblanos and charred corn and peppers for some smokiness, beans for the classic chili texture and finish it off with a bit of cheese for creaminess and lime juice for some acidity and zest. Talk about perfection; alllllll the comforting flavors you love.

There is slightly more work to this recipe than just dumping everything in a crock pot but the flavors you develop from a little extra TLC goes a long way. It's worth it, it's worth it, it's worth it!

It's spicy and creamy and the veggies really shine because they've been blackened slightly to bring out their natural flavors and some smokiness. I swear no one you serve this recipe to will be disappointed. Healthy, loaded with flavors, textures and colors - the perfect chili!

You can add more or less spice to your preference or to please the people you're serving it to.... and you can dump it on nachos for the ultimate snack...






Creamy Chicken & Charred Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs (or breasts)
3 cups salsa
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if desired)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 poblano peppers
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno
1 14 oz can sweet corn, drained
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese & sour cream to serve

Directions:

• Mix together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and set aside.
• Trim fat from chicken thighs and place in crock pot with half of the salsa, 1 cup of the chicken broth and half of the seasoning mixture. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or high for about 3-4 or until chicken is tender and you can shred with a fork. Shred the chicken and leave in with all the juices.
• Towards the end of the slow cooking time, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook without stirring so they get a nice char (4-5 min), as seen in the photo above. Remove from pan and repeat the same step with the jalapeno and corn.
• There are two ways to roast the poblanos. If you have a gas stove, turn it on medium-high so you have a decent flame and use tongs to roast the peppers directly over the flame until all sides are charred, like picture above. The blacker the better! The other option is to broil them - heat the oven to broil and place the oven rack just a few inches from the top. Place the peppers directly on the rack and broil until they blacken, flipping over to get all sides. It will take just a few minutes. Either way you do it, the next step is the same. Place in a bowl and cover with saran wrap. This will allow them to steam and it makes it super easy to use the back of a knife to strip all the black skin off and chop the peppers to add to the soup.
• Add the charred veggies, corn, beans, lime juice, remaining seasoning mix and cream cheese to the crock pot with the shredded chicken. Stir and add some of the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth if necessary to reach your preferred consistency. 
• Cook through and let flavors settle, about 30 minutes. 
• Serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream. 

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum