4th Annual Chili Contest – Entry #5: Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili + Weekly Menu | Prevention RD

I use my morning and evening commutes as a time to catch up with friends and family. Last week, I caught up with my friend, Christin, from Ohio. She was the social worker at the dialysis clinic I worked at and we became close friends. As someone who was always trying to balance the desire to drop a few pounds while keeping her inner foodie satisfied, Christin and I instantly bonded. We were both blonde and alike in so many ways. It was eerie at times, even.

We were so much alike…except when it came to our college teams of choice.

Christin was a die hard Ohio State fan and I…an Illinois fan. When it came to sports, she and I were like oil and water. And come fall, there were some fighting words exchanged a time or two and given the fact that my team typically loses, it was a very sore subject.

What we did agree on with regard to football was the snacks. She and Mr. Prevention love Buffalo Chicken Dip more than anyone else I know. Not that that’s surprising…the stuff is dangerously addicting but doesn’t exactly offer much in the way of nutrition.

As week 5 of the chili contest approached, Heather’s Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili seemed like the PERFECT game time chili meal. It was like chili met Buffalo Chicken Dip and they created this heavenly bowl of spicy comfort food.

By using some veggies, lean chicken breast, and reduced fat dairy, the nutrition stats on this bowl of yummy goodness is not going to cause detriment to the scale.

Noooooope.

At under 300 calories per serving, this one will be tough to beat on all accounts!

Save Print Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 55 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground paprika
1 (15 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
8 oz ⅓ less fat cream cheese, cut into large chunks
¼ cup (1 oz) part-skim sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 slices uncured bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, and garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes or until tender and onion is translucent.
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add in the chicken. Cook the chicken until no longer pink. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and paprika and allow to cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, cannellini beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Add in the cream cheese and cheese and stir until completely melted, about 5 minutes. Serve chili hot, topped with a teaspoon of bacon crumbles.

Notes Recipe submitted by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks, originally from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice
Nutrition Information Serving size: 1¼ cups Calories: 282 Fat: 10.5 Carbohydrates: 25.5 Sugar: 5.8 Sodium: 463 Fiber: 5.3 Protein: 21.8 Cholesterol: 52
3.2.2124

Weekly Menu: October 27th – 31st