Three-Pepper Chicken Chili

It's been four days since my last post, and I've been trying to post something all week. I've had a busy week though. I am not a person who normally leads a hectic life, but the last few days have left me with no time left over for blogging. I've had deadlines at work and things that needed to be taken care of at home, and everything has to be settled before I leave town this weekend (I'll be spending a long weekend wine-tasting in Shenandoah Valley--yay!). So I won't be posting over the weekend, either. And yet, with all my stressful franticness of the past week, would you believe that, through it all, I kept thinking, I need to write a blog post before I leave for the weekend!

It sounds so silly, but I guess I realized that this little web-space of mine has become part of my daily (or semi-daily) existence, and I hate to leave it neglected. And I hate the thought of people checking my page (I know there are a couple of you out there who do!) and seeing the same tired content for a week straight. So finally—finally—I'm setting some time aside to post.

Last night I came home late from work and got started making some chili. I actually wasn't even hungry--I was too exhausted to have much of an appetite--but it was on the schedule (yes, I keep a meal schedule) and I'd already defrosted the chicken, so I got to cooking. I made Ina's Chicken Chili, which has been on my list forever, patiently waiting its turn, and finally came up in the queue. The Recipe Girl recently made this dish and it turned out fabulously. She served hers up with some chips for scooping—a very delicious idea. I served mine over rice with cornbread on the side.

I don’t know if anyone else has ever eaten their chili over rice, but it's pretty common in my family and sometimes that's what I'll be in the mood for. It's very tasty and pretty budget-friendly, too, as it lets you take a pot of chili and stretch it even further.

I changed the recipe very little, but I did add a seeded, minced jalapeno, hence the “three-pepper” part of the title. I’d like to write out the whole modified version for you, but I have bags to pack and dinner to cook, so I’m going to have to be quick. I sautéed boneless skinless breasts instead of roasting bone-in chicken, just to save time, and I cut out some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes to make the chili a bit chunkier. While the chili was simmering I baked the corn muffins and made the rice. I sautéed a shallot in a bit of butter in a pan before adding the rice and chicken stock (instead of water). When everything was finished I added some rice to a bowl, ladled the chili over the stop, sprinkled it with shredded cheddar and sliced scallions, and tucked a corn muffin along the side. Very filling, very warming. You can get the detailed recipe here.

OK, I’m off. Have a great weekend everyone!