Earlier this year I entered a recipe contest sponsored by Biad Chili Products. I submitted this recipe from She Cooks He Cleans, which won 5 pounds of roasted Hatch green chiles and an entry in Biad’s 2nd Annual Tough Book of Green Chile Recipes. We have really been enjoying the chiles, which arrived frozen in convenient ziplock containers. The book has plenty of good recipes as well!
This recipe for Chicken and Roasted Green Chile Stew is perfect for the cold, misty weather we’ve been having this week. The variety of chiles I selected were medium hot – enough heat to warm you up, but you can still feel your lips.
One good thing about a stew is you can throw in about anything that you have on hand. I had some bell peppers that were languishing in the vegetable drawer, and some leftover rotisserie chicken parts that I simmered with some onion, carrots, and celery to make chicken broth. The addition of Benton’s Hickory-smoked Country Bacon, gave the stew a very pleasing and distinct smoky flavor. (I had to wait around 10 weeks for that shipment of bacon, so I use it sparingly!)
Serve with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. The leftover stew was even better the next day, so don’t eat it all at once!
- 2-3 chicken breast halves (~1 pound)
- 3 strips smoky bacon, sliced into small pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 sweet bell pepper (seeded and stemmed), chopped
- 3 roasted Hatch green chiles (seeded and stemmed), chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of dried Mexican oregano
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounce can of white beans
- ~ 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream, or half and half
- Juice from 1 lime
- salt and pepper, to taste
- sour cream
- cheese (Monterey Jack, white cheddar, Chihuahua, Asadero, etc)
Place the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven with enough broth (or water) to cover the chicken well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool in the broth. When cool enough to handle, transfer the chicken to a bowl, and shred to bite-sized pieces using your fingers. Strain the broth and reserve.
Wipe out the pot with paper towels (no need using 2 pots). Add the bacon pieces to the pot and cook over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is slightly crispy. Pour out all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened (do not brown). Stir in the green chiles, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Add the chicken, white beans, and enough broth to give it a soupy consistency (I used approximately 3 cups). Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer on low for around 30 minutes, so the flavors will meld.
Prior to serving, stir in the juice from one lime. Add cream to your liking – I didn’t measure, but probably used about 1/3 cup. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot, topped with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!
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Two originals for today’s tunes…Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams. Both create music that can’t be confined to a single genre, mixing country, rock, blues and pop into a STEW that can only be bested by today’s recipe!
Ryan Adams has matured since his early days as wise-mouth punk in the early 2000s to become a great American songwriter. Ashes & Fire contains some of his most emotive writing yet. I dare to listen to the opener, “Dirty Rain” without a lump in your throat.
From a blues-pickin’ folkie to alt-country diva, Lucinda Williams lays her soul wide open with each record. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road , with such classics as “Right On Time” and “Joy”, is regarded as Williams masterpiece- for now. Once encountered, Lucinda Williams leaves a mark.
she cooks...he cleans 
Congrats! Nothing better than winning food ;). Great looking recipe too.
My husband and I miss your posts. Like you two, we also enjoy pairing fun music with fun times cooking together. I hope you two are well. I wanted you to know your time with your blogging was appreciated and always a highlight to read.
Awww, thank you so much for that, Michelle. We are well – just got a little tired out at the end of the year with too many things going on. We didn’t intend to take this long of a break! We still are cooking and listening to plenty of good music. I just need to get back in the habit of sharing it with other people. I really appreciate your nice comments! ~Nancy