Crock-Pot Chicken Chili

Chili is one of my favorite crock pot dishes for cold weather. It is the perfect comfort food, and can be customized in so many different ways. This dish includes ground chicken and turkey bacon, which is a cheaper and healthier twist to a classic ground beef and pork bacon chili.

What Do You Need?

• 1 lb ground chicken
• turkey bacon
• poblano pepper
• bell pepper
• onion
• fresh garlic
• diced tomatoes
• tomato sauce
• kidney beans
• salt, pepper, chili powder
• desired toppings: cheddar cheese, sour cream (not pictured), and fresh lime juice (not pictured). 

 

What Should You Do?

First, cook the ground chicken on the stove. Once cooked, use the same pan to cook the bacon.



While the chicken is cooking, open, drain, and rinse the kidney beans, and then transfer them into the crock pot.



Next, chop all of the vegetables and add them to the crock pot, along with the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the chicken once it is cooked. The bacon will need to be chopped prior to adding to the pot.



Once all ingredients have been chopped and added, add seasonings to the desired taste, cover, and cook on high until vegetables are soft and chili has reached the desired consistency, about four hours.







Once cooked, transfer to individual bowls and top with any desired ingredients. I prefer shredded cheese, sour cream, and some fresh squeezed lime juice.

Side note: Chili freezes and reheats incredibly well. I portion it out into single serving containers, add a quarter slice of real cheese (none of that cheese-product junk), and a small dollop of cream cheese. They stack well in the freezer, and are great for a quick and easy hot lunch at work.