Throw It In A Pot Dinner

I am a well-documented cheep skate. What is a “cheep skate” anyway? I digress. Anyway I hate to let perfectly good food go bad in the refrigerator to the point that it becomes inedible and must be tossed. As a person who likes a good deal I often buy too much of something at the store just because it is a good deal. If I had a bunch of children none of this would be a problem because I am excellent at feeding multitudes with things I have created with just the food I have on hand.

Unfortunately, I live in a house where the number of people eating dinner is an unreliable number. I never know if Russ is going to be around or if Carter is going to eat what I make. The best answer I can come up with is to make up a meal from the food I have just before any of it goes bad and then freeze the newly created dish so I can serve it to Russ when he is actually home. I just have to remember to defrost things from the freezer, not my strong suit.

Since we were away for three days in Boston I came home to a number of items that really needed to be used today. So I put everything together in this chicken chili and came up with something Russ loved and Carter was willing to eat. I think I will freeze it for the State Fair Horse Show this weekend.

Of course you can substitute anything you have on hand to make this recipe.

3 large yellow onions chopped

3 peppers- yellow, orange and red- chopped

3 garlic cloves- minced

2 cans of diced tomatoes

3 cans of bean- black, red and cannellini- drained and rinsed

1 can of creamed corn- I thought it was corn kernels

2 cans of chicken stock

5 Cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs- chopped

4 big handfuls of chopped Kale

Big bunch of cilantro

1/3 cup Chili powder’

4 T. Cumin

1 T. garlic powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 T. lime juice

1 T. brown sugar

Salt and Pepper

Spray a big stockpot with Pam and put the onion in on medium heat. Cook for three minutes, stirring every so often. Add the peppers and the garlic and cook another three minutes. Add the spices and salt and pepper cook another minute. Dump in all the canned vegetables and add the chicken stock and turn the heat up to simmer for twenty minutes.

Add the kale and cook for five minutes. Add the chicken and cook until hot. Right before serving add the cilantro, lime Juice and brown sugar.

Serve with crushed corn tortillas, shredded cheese, avocado and sour cream, or just plain if you are watching your weight.