Chicken Corn Chili with Corn Bread

It was a long week for me and I was going crazy with the heat. Me and 100+ degree weather no longer get along, especially since I lived in Santa Barbara the past 2 years. So going to LA to see Sean made me feel a little better about the weather. Don't ask why, but maybe the heat is getting to me.... Instead of opting to cook something light and refreshing, I ended up cooking chicken corn chili and corn bread. 

This chicken corn chili isn't as heavy as a beef chili and doesn't have as much heat as I prefer my chili, but you can of course adjust the heat to however you like it. I love that you can use left over chicken or rotisserie or cook your own chicken for this. I also decided to bake corn bread to go with this chicken corn chili. The corn bread was moist and has corn kernels in it. This is not a sweet corn bread recipe, so if you like your corn bread sweet I would adjust the amount of sugar or use agave or honey instead.

Here's the Recipe:

(Adapted from What Megans Making)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups diced cooked chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken

2 15-ounce cans large white beans (1 undrained; 1 drained and rinsed)

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus additional for topping

Directions

1. Using a food processor or  blender, puree the can of undrained beans until creamy. Add some chicken broth if you need extra liquid for them to blend smoothly. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chopped peppers and cumin and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. 

3. Stir in the chicken broth, chicken, remaining can of beans (drained and rinsed), and bean puree. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the corn cilantro and 1/2 cup cheese, heating until corn is hot and cheese is melted. Divide the chili among bowls and top with cheese

Here's the Recipe for Corn bread:

(Adapted from Paula Deen)

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for baking dish

1 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 12oz can canned corn

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and fold together until there are no dry spots (the batter will still be lumpy). Add the corn and fold. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.

3. Bake until the top is golden brown and tester inserted into the middle of the corn bread comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.