apple chicken chili

this is another one of those i make this every year recipes. and it's true. and go good, sometimes i make it twice. and yes, it's another one from rachael ray (only this time from her magazine, so it was developed by someone on her staff). and i think stephanie's right - i don't really care for her much anymore. one day, ten (!!!) years ago, she was this sweet, plain, every day kind of girl, looking to make dinner a little easier on all of us. now, she's a mega empire, with a scratchy voice (seriously, does she ever sleep?!), referring to her friends rocco dispirito and jamie oliver - you know, because we all have celebrity friends. but what gets to me the most are her recipes. they either don't look very appetizing or they are a variation on another recipe she developed years ago. needless to say i didn't renew my subscription to her magazine last year and never looked back.

anyway, on to the chili, which i ripped out of her magazine a few years ago, before the talk show and line of cookware. jason and i went on our apple trek again this year, picking around 40 pounds of apples. first thing on the list (after applesauce) was this chili.



i'll be honest, the first time i saw it, i wasn't sure how much i'd like hunks of apples mixed in with spiced up chicken and beans, but it works surprisingly well. the apples don't taste so much like apples, but more like a slightly sweet crunch. and the apples take on the chili powder and cumin perfectly.

apple chicken chili
adapted from everyday with rachael ray
1hr, serves 8

2 pounds of chicken, cut into bite size pieces
4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 apples cut into bite size cubes

1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup 2% or whole milk
15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed
15 ounce can white beans, rinsed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded monterey jack cheese
tortillas or crusty bread for serving

1. coat the bottom of a large sauce pan or dutch oven with olive oil and place over medium heat. add the chicken, chili powder, and cumin and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
2. in the same pot, coat the bottom with olive oil again. add the apple and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. add the apple onion mixture to the chicken and set aside.
3. in the same pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. when melted, whisk in the flour and cook a couple minutes until the flour browns. add the chicken stock and milk, whisking continuously, and cook until thickened, a few minutes.
4. stir the apple chicken mixture and the beans to the stock mixture and bring to a simmer. stir in the cheese. serve with tortillas or crusty bread. and it makes great leftovers.