Hearty Healthy Chicken Black Bean Chili

This healthy, delicious Chicken Black Bean Chili, made with rotisserie chicken and lots of fresh veggies, is a perfect way to warm up a chilly day.

The first time I made this Chicken Black Bean Chili it disappeared in the blink of an eye, so now, I always make a double batch!

Stay healthy with lots of veggies

With all the sickness going around at this time of year, I like to sneak lots of healthy veggies into my meals whenever possible, to help fortify our immune systems. I found onions, garlic, jalapeno, carrots, celery and red bell pepper in the fridge and they all went into this Chicken Black Bean Chili. The plethora of vegetables, not only significantly bump up the nutritional value of this chili, but also adds lots of flavor as the veggies cook and meld into the delicious broth.

A kitchen magic trick!

I chop the vegetables pretty fine for my chilies and like them to be a fairly uniform size for a pretty presentation. My Vidalia Chop Wizard makes a job like this super easy! I was curious to see how long it would take me to chop all these veggies with my little kitchen workhorse so I had Scott set a timer and... Are you ready? It took me 2 minutes and 30 seconds to go from this:

to this:

How cool is that? By the way, this is not a sponsored post, I just love this handy little gadget, as it saves me so much time in the kitchen.

A few tips regarding the Vidalia Chop Wizard...

It's important to do your chopping in three simple steps. I had Scott take a few pictures to illustrate what I mean.

• First of all, prep your veggies to fit within the cutting grate. This takes just minutes and may mean slicing an onion or cutting up a carrot or bell pepper to fit the grate.
• Next, bring the lid down until you feel the chopper engage slightly with the vegetable. This gets the cutting started and prevents any damage to the chopper.
• Finally, (this is the fun part!), give it a good whack with the heel of your hand. Scott laughs when he hears "whack", "whack", "whack" as he knows (most likely) something delicious is in the making.

I use this chopper to dice the hardest, most dense veggies like carrots, potatoes, even winter squash! Have you heard the old saying; "Many hands make light work."? I say; "This chopper makes my work much lighter."!

Rotisserie chicken or leftovers

You don't need a rotisserie chicken to make this Chicken Black Bean Chili. Any leftover chicken, even turkey will work great. Or you could roast a few breasts using this Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary recipe or saute some skinless, boneless breasts using this Juicy, Tender Baked Chicken Breasts recipe. It's up to you. I really like how having a rotisserie chicken on hand makes meals like this so easy.

I love Costco rotisserie chickens because they're large, have great flavor and the meat is super tender. We don't have a Costco near us so when we go, I often buy a couple of chickens and pop one or more in the freezer (wrapped tightly to prevent freezer burn). I thaw it in the refrigerator and use it just like I would a regular rotisserie chicken.

So, whether there's snow in the forecast or not, whether you live north, south or on the Mason Dixon line, don't let this cozy season slip by without making a pot of this flavorful Chicken Black Bean Chili. You very well might be like me and find yourself making a double batch the next time around!

Café Tips for making this Chicken Black Bean Chili

• This chili is delicious on its own, but it's fun to offer optional toppings; like tortilla chips, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, diced white onion, cilantro, sour cream, or Greek yogurt (our favorite), diced avocado, salsa and/or fresh lime wedges. For a fun casual meal, I just leave the chili right in the pot, surrounded by bowls of the toppings and let guests serve themselves.
• If you're using diced onions as a topping, try to find a white onion. White onions are crisp and mild in flavor compared to yellow onions. They're the ones traditionally used in south-of-the-border salsas and guacamoles.
• A rotisserie chicken from Costco will yield about 4 cups of diced or shredded chicken breast, 5 cups if you include the dark meat. I find chickens from other grocery chains are smaller and will yield slightly less meat. If you have a little less, that's fine, the chili will still be wonderful.
• You could actually omit the chicken altogether in this recipe and have a delicious, super healthy, vegetarian chili. You'd also want to leave out the bacon and add an additional tablespoon of olive oil.
• As stated above, there's one strip of thick-cut, smoky bacon in this recipe. The fat is not removed after the bacon is crisp and golden. It serves as a source of wonderful flavor and also subs for part of the oil that the veggies are sauteed in. If you're watching calories, no worries! An average strip of uncooked, thick cut bacon has 140 calories, which means only 14 calories are added per serving of chili - but loads of delicious flavor! So don't omit the bacon (unless, of course, you're vegetarian).
• You might think it strange, but there are two corn tortillas that are diced and added to the vegetable sauté in this Chicken Black Bean Chili. These tortillas will melt into the broth and add a delicious depth of flavor to the chili. What to do with the rest of the package of corn tortillas? They make delicious quesadillas; just sandwich chicken and shredded cheese between two corn tortillas. Add a little oil to a sauté pan and cook on both sides until golden. Serve with salsa on the side for a delicious lunch. Corn tortillas can also be frozen. I like to divide them up and place 3-4 each, in small ziplock bags. When I use them, I can pull out just what I need, and not try to pry them apart from a big stack.
• There's a teaspoon of sugar in this savory chili recipe. That might seem unusual but don't worry, it doesn't make the chili sweet but it does balance out the tomatoes and spices.
• Chili powders can vary drastically in spiciness. Start with 1-2 teaspoons. You can always add more towards the end, if you find you want more spicy heat. If you do add more chili powder at the end, be sure to let the chili simmer a little longer to let the spices meld and marry.
• This Chicken Black Bean Chili recipe can be made in a slow cooker. I didn't use my slow cooker because the bacon has to be sautéed till crisp on the stovetop to render the fat. It's also important for the aromatics (the onion, garlic, spices and other veggies) to be sauteed before combining with the broth and tomatoes to enhance the flavor. Rather than dirtying an additional pot, I just pop my chili into a low temp oven and let it do it's magic there. If you're going to be gone all day, or simply prefer to use the slow cooker, just transfer the mixture to the slow cooker after all ingredients have been added and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the veggies are very tender.
• The recipe calls for a can of corn. During the cold winter months, when fresh corn is not available and/or reasonably priced, I like to use Summer Crisp Corn. It comes in an 11-ounce can and is sweet and crisp. You can find it with other canned corn at the grocery store

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Thought for the day:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

What we're listening to for inspiration:

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