Recipe Hawaiian Chicken Chili

[JoshPosh]

• 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

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.

 

[lizzief79]

I often cook food from all around the world. I am quite creative and experimental and love trying new cuisines. I often make food inspired by Indian, Thai, Italian, Chines and Greek cuisines. One cuisine I do not really think about is Hawaiian. If I am honest, the only food that would come to mind is a Hawaiian pizza and that is not really Hawaiian cuisine is it? After reading, and commenting on, many of your posts recently it is definitely a cuisine I am going to take more of an interest in. YOur recipes and photographs look delicious.

 

[OhioTom76]

Oh my goodness this sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I think I have most of the ingredients and may have to give this a try today, as we just got our first snowfall.

I love the idea of using pineapple specifically in the chili. A friend of mine got me hooked on including pineapple in my baked beans (along with bacon) many years ago, but I can't believe we never though to put them in a chili as well.

I agree, 12 chicken breasts sounds wayyyy excessive. The chicken breasts at our chain grocery stores are so freakishly huge, you could literally feed four people with just one of them. I wouldn't even remotely be able to fit twelve of those in even my largest stock pot. On the other hand, if you are able to buy chicken directly from a local butcher or farmers market, they will often sell more realistic size chicken breasts which are around 6-8oz. Even then, 12 sounds like an awful lot.

I'm assuming the pineapple doesn't hold up well though in terms of heating and storing the chili - so that would be one thing I would need to take into consideration if I wanted to make batches of this as freezer meals.