Hawaiian Chicken Chili

BothFex's Note:

Another great recipe from my Aunt Toni. Unusual but wonderfully tasty as was proved this Fall when my DH and I won a chili cook-off with it. Hope you enjoy it as well.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 1.0 large p ...

• 1 (20 ounce) can chunk pineapple, drained and juice reserved
• 8 -12 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (24 ounce) jar pace mild-medium picante sauce (or your favorite salsa- I use my homemade stuff)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In large pot or dutch oven, melt butter and sauté chicken* until almost cooked through.
2. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Add reserved pineapple juice and all other ingredients- EXCEPT- for the pineapple chunks.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat, stir in pineapple and serve immediately- OR, WHAT I LIKE TO DO- remove from heat allow to cool, cover and refrigerate over night.
6. Next day, reheat on stove top, stir in pineapple and serve.
7. *Note about chicken: recipe originally calls for 12 chicken breasts.
8. I found this a bit excessive and so tweaked the measurement.
9. I find 7-8 breasts works for me.
10. I guess it depends on how well endowed your chickens were.
11. Judge accordingly.

Reviews

[karen in tbay]

We really enjoyed this twist on regular beef chili!! I only had one jar of salsa and it was a Medium Chipotle Salsa so I only used 2 tbsp chili powder instead of 3. We used 1 can red kidney and 1 can white kidney beans and only 8 chicken breasts. I also cut my pineapple chunks in smaller pieces and added the next day when reaheating. We are going to enter this recipe in a chili cook-off this weekend...wish us luck!! Might try using fresh pineapple instead of canned.

[Lucky Clover]

This was a nice change from the usual beef chili that we make. I loved the idea of the pineapple, chicken, and chili combined, but there was way too much chili powder for me. I think it overshadowed the other flavors. I would cut it in half next time. I tasted it the recipe in its original state, and I ended up adding some brown sugar and leftover coffee to try to balance out the chili powder taste. I ended up topping it with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and green onions.

[Coolean]

This recipe is great and flavorfull. I won 1st place at our office chili cook-off (about 15 contestants). Since this was the 1st time I made it, I read all the reviews and combined recommendations. I used canned blackbeans and rinsed them well. Rinsing kept the chili colorful and reduced the saltiness. To save time, I used frozen chicken tenders, putting them in cold water, boiling for about 10 mins, and draining them. Pulling the meat in strips rather than cutting allowed the chicken to better absorb ingredient flavors and gave the chili a rustic homemade look. Used Dole pineapple tidbits rather than chunks. I didn't overcook or overstir the recipe. It paid off because cook-off customers commented that crispiness of the ingredients and pineapple made the chili special. Also refrigerating the chili overnight and reheating the next day really allowed the flavors blend. Recommend adding the salt to taste, because salt in chili powder and tomatoes brands vary. Enjoy!!