cheesy chicken chili

Name: Cheesy Chicken Chili
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 pound(s) cooked boneless chicken (can be from a whole cooked chicken, or from boneless breast and/or thigh filets); 2-3 cup(s) chicken broth, reserved from cooked chicken; 3 - onions, chopped; 2 large bell peppers, chopped; 2 - ribs celery, finely chopped; 1-2 - jalapeno peppers, finely minced (without seeds for milder, with seeds for hotter); 2-3 clove(s) minced garlic; 1 - heaping tablespoon better than bouillon chicken flavoring; 1 - 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes; 1 teaspoon(s) powdered oregano; 2 tablespoon(s) dried parsley flakes; 1 tablespoon(s) mrs. dash; 1 - 26-oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted; 6 ounce(s) velveeta cheese; 2 ounce(s) shredded colby cheese (or you can just use all velveeta...i used what i had); - salt and pepper to taste; 3 can(s) dark red or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or if you prefer, you can substitute pinto beans) sometimes i mix it up and use a can each of red, white and pinto--just whatever's in the cupboard); 1 package(s) real bacon pieces (optional)

(2 RATINGS)

134 Pinches 1 Photo

Lisa Crum

Delbarton, WV

Updated on Nov 25, 2011

Here's a true "comfort food" soup, so good for this cooler time of year. I just got throwing together some odds and ends and this is what came out! Not a new concept, but the ingredient combination in my version is my own. It's my hubby's favorite soup!

Rate

prep time 40 Min

cook time 1 Hr

method ---

yield Yields about 4 quarts

Ingredients

3 pounds cooked boneless chicken (can be from a whole cooked chicken, or from boneless breast and/or thigh filets)
2-3 cups chicken broth, reserved from cooked chicken
3 - onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
2 - ribs celery, finely chopped
1-2 - jalapeno peppers, finely minced (without seeds for milder, with seeds for hotter)
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 - heaping tablespoon better than bouillon chicken flavoring
1 - 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon powdered oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon mrs. dash
1 - 26-oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
6 ounces velveeta cheese
2 ounces shredded colby cheese (or you can just use all velveeta...i used what i had)
- salt and pepper to taste
3 cans dark red or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or if you prefer, you can substitute pinto beans) sometimes i mix it up and use a can each of red, white and pinto--just whatever's in the cupboard)
1 package real bacon pieces (optional)

How To Make cheesy chicken chili

Step 1

Chicken may be cooked ahead of time, cooled, and coarsely chopped. It's a rustic soup so it doesn't have to be neat little pieces.

Step 2

Add chopped veggies, tomatoes, seasonings (except for salt and pepper), chicken, and reserved broth to 4-qt. kettle. Since this is a thick soup, which could stick easily, you'll want to choose a pot with a good, heavy bottom. Good nonstick cookware or maybe a pressure cooker (not pressurized) would be a good choice. Cook ingredients on med-high heat until onions and peppers are tender. Personally, I like to hold off a few minutes and add my celery about 10-15 minutes into the cooking process. A slight crunch of the celery is a nice touch to the overall texture of the soup. Once I wound up with a wonderful, fragrant liquid left over from stuffed bell peppers...I actually wound up cooking the chicken in this broth and using some in the soup. It was over-the-top! You can't get too much bell pepper flavor in this soup.
Step 3

When onions are tender, add mushroom soup and reduce to medium. Simmer about 10 more minutes. Add in cheese, stirring often to avoid sticking, and reduce to medium-low. Adjust the thickness to your own preference by adding more chicken broth if desired. Wait until you've added these ingredients to salt and pepper...the cheese and other ingredients may make it salty enough to where no additional salt is needed. I didn't need extra. Add beans just a few minutes before serving and heat through.
Step 4

Really good served with oyster crackers, hot tortillas or maybe some tortilla chips. If you fix it thick enough, it would be delicious ladled over a taco salad in place of ground beef. Feel free to make it hotter, milder, thicker, thinner...it's YOUR turn to make this into an extraordinary dish! One thing I'm going to try to do at some point is thicken it up just a tad and bake it in a pie shell, to make a variation of chicken pot pie...call me crazy, I just get little ideas like this. If I do and it's good, I'll post and let you know. It just sounds like it would have to be good. :)
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