Crockpot Butternut Chicken Chili
The Inspiration…
It’s fall. It’s football season. It’s flannel season. That can only mean one thing. It is CHILI season! For some reason, once the end of September arrives, I am itching to make some chili. There is just something so comforting about some cool weather and a hot bowl of it. There are so many different variations of chili out there. Some have beef, some have chicken, some have beans, some are white, some are red. This is starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book!! I noticed while looking through recipes one fall, that any chicken chili recipe was a “white chicken chili”. I love a good tomato-based chili, so I decided to make my own using what I had on hand. The result is my favorite chili recipe that I make again and again. I think it will quickly become a family favorite for you, with “hidden” vegetables that add flavor and some bonus nutrients!
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can throw everything into a crockpot and forget about it, and come dinner time you have a hearty, comfort meal. If you decide to make this on a whim, you can always just toss the ingredients into a pot on the stove and let it cook away for an hour or so and you’ll have the same results. This makes quite a bit, so invite some friends over to share!
This recipe is so simple. Start by adding 2 to 3 chicken breasts to the bottom of your crockpot and season with salt. Next just layer in all of your other ingredients, diced and crushed tomatoes, beans, onion, jalapeno, garlic, squash, and seasonings. I like to use the fire roasted diced tomatoes for a bit of a smoky flavor, but if you just have some regular diced, that will taste great as well. To make this recipe even easier, I used a packet of chili seasoning that you can find at your local grocery store, then I bolstered it with some of my own spices. The secret ingredient here is the butternut squash. Once it cooks down, it kind of melts into the rest of the chili and you’ll never know it is there. It adds a little bit of sweetness that is very complimentary to the spices. Mix up all of the ingredients, leaving the chicken on the bottom of the crockpot. Cook for 8 hours on low. Shred the chicken and stir it back into the chili. Top with your favorite accoutrement like sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Try this for the next football party and you won’t be disappointed. Hopefully, your football team will not disappoint you either! #GoBills
Crockpot Butternut Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 16 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes*
- 1 16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 16 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups butternut squash, cubed**
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
- 1 packet chili seasoning (I used McCormick)
- 1 TBSP garlic powder (optional)
- 2 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 2 tsp ground coriander (optional)
- 1 tsp cumin (optional)
Instructions
- Add the chicken breast to the bottom of your crockpot.
- Add in the rest of your ingredients. Stir everything together to combine but leave the chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove the chicken breast and shred it. Add the shredded chicken back into the crockpot and stir to mix incorporate.
- Serve with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, scallion, jalapeno, cilantro, avocado, or lime.
Notes
*You can use regular diced tomatoes if you do not have fire roasted available to you.
**I buy the cleaned and chopped butternut squash from the local grocery store. You can also use frozen or feel free to chop your own.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
244.79Fat
1.93Sat. Fat
0.38Carbs
42.2Fiber
10.44Net carbs
31.77Sugar
9.42Protein
18.05Sodium
423.42Cholesterol
22.6Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.