Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken Chili

By deedavis

Warm up a winter night with this spicy soup, which takes just 20 minutes to get cookin’.

Prep Time:20 Min Total Time:8 Hr 20 Min Makes:6 servings (1 1/3 cups each

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onions (2 medium)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 jar (16 oz) medium picante sauce
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz) pinto beans, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• Sliced green onion, if desired

Preparation

Step 1

Makes:

DIRECTIONS

In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onions, bell pepper and garlic.

In large bowl, mix cornmeal, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Add chicken; toss to coat. Add chicken and any remaining seasoning mixture to vegetables in slow cooker. Gently stir in picante sauce, beans and tomatoes.

Cover; cook on Low setting 6 to 8 hours. Sprinkle with green onion.

Chicken thighs, with their higher fat content, are better cooked in the slow cooker than lower fat chicken breasts. Breasts, which become tough and dry with long, slow cooking, are best used in recipes with minimal cooking time