Remember that lovely chicken with 40 cloves of garlic I made? Unfortunately, it didn't get much use for almost a week. I came down with a bad cold, rendering my appetite obsolete and leaving the poor chicken alone in the refrigerator. For a few days last week, I started feeling better but I was no longer in the mood for a meal of roast chicken, potatoes and brussel sprouts. It was freezing cold outside and that meant only one thing: chili. Ever the one not to let something go to waste, I decided to make it a chicken chili, using up the chicken still in my fridge. And to make life even easier on me (because let's face it, it's not easy cooking when you're getting over a bad cold), I decided to let the crockpot do most of the work. Considering the fact that it got even colder after I made the chili (and my cold returned...this time with a vengance), this turned out to be the perfect Winter meal.
Crockpot Chicken Chili
1-4lb. roasted chicken, meat coarsely cubed
1 lb kidney beans, cleaned and soaked overnight
5 cups chicken stock
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Hungarian (or smoked) paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
Place a dry skillet on medium heat and add the cumin, coriander and paprika. Toast for a few minutes (no more than four), until the spices begin to release their aromas. Remove the spices from the heat and add the chili powder, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and salt. Set aside. Put the carrots and onions in the crockpot and turn it on low. Add in the chicken stock, rinsed kidney beans, garlic and chicken. Add the spices and stir to incorporate it evenly. Allow the chili to cook for 8 to ten hours, or until the beans are thoroughly cooked.
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