Now the Autumn is really upon us, I thought it was time to start making "warmer" recipes - such as chili! If you know me by now, I don't make dishes I am used to frequently; I love trying out new recipes! I was watching Food Network one day last week for inspiration and saw this recipe made by Robin Miller so I figured I'd try it out. I sometimes like to buy a rotisserie chicken from Stop & Shop on Friday's because they sell it for $5 on that day only. One can never have enough recipes to use that rotisserie chicken so alas that was another reason to try out this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 teaspoons garlic
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced (I used green, not a huge difference)
- 3 canned jalapeno peppers, diced
- 1 packet chili seasoning (didn't have this but made my own seasoning mix)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (5 ounce) can pinto beans, drained (I excluded these because I do NOT like beans)
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 bottle beer (I used Bud Light because it was all we had in the fridge, but I'm sure a dark beer would be great as well)
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, shaved (I only used about 1 ounce becasue the chocolate flavor was too overwhelming to me)
- 2 scallions, chopped, for garnish
- Cheddar, for garnish
In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 5 minutes.
Add red bell peppers and jalapenos and saute for 5 more minutes, until soft.
Stir in chili seasoning packet and cinnamon and cook until spices are fragrant. Add tomatoes, pinto beans, shredded chicken and beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chocolate just before serving. Garnish with grated cheddar and chopped scallions, if desired.
It was a very good meal and if you like chili you will like this dish. It really warmed me up and the smell of melted chocolate in my dinner was certainly a plus! Now if only I was sitting near a blazing fireplace while I was eating this, it would be even better... Tutti Mangia!