Gluten-Free Chicken Chili

As the fall chill slowly creeps into the air, my thoughts turn to comfort foods. And the number one comfort food this family enjoys? Soup… except for me. I don’t typically eat soups. They tend to heat me up to such an extent that I’m left feeling as though I’m running a marathon in the Sahara. So my enjoyment of soups must wait until the fall and winter.

But now that this time is upon us, I can once again partake of my hubby and son’s most favorite of all foods. The common soup. And yet so very uncommon – such a wide diversity of ingredients and types of soups that one can create. Chicken noodle soup. Chilis. Minestrone. Tomato soup. Bisques. And the list goes on.

On the menu for tonight – chili. My freezer is stocked with whole chickens thanks to a sale at the local grocery store last month and my pantry is bursting with beans and tomatoes (oh, the endless joys of coupon clipping and combining those with double coupons and a store sale… but that is for another blog…) so it was just a moment’s thought as to what type of chili to make. Chicken Chili, of course.

I like using a crockpot to slow cook my chilis and soups. It doesn’t scorch or burn and the smell of soup wafting through the house as the afternoon sun moves across the floor and the day lengthens is well, simply fabulous. And it makes my boys come from their perspective hidey holes (ie: the bedroom game station and the office), sniff the air, and ask plaintively when they might expect to eat. Ah, the joy.

As with the previous soup, this is a recipe that is naturally gluten-free. Don’t waste your money on those chili packets from the store. Simple seasonings and the use of onions and garlic will create a chili far better than one of those packets could ever hope to grace.

Gluten-Free Chicken Chili
serves 4-6, generously

1 whole chicken
tomatoes
beans (kidney, black, white, navy, etc)
1/4 cup GF chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
few Tbl chopped garlic

optional toppings
sour cream
grated cheese
bacon bits!

Place chicken in large pot and cover with water. Boil until meat falls from bone. Remove from heat, pour into a colander, let cool until you can pick the meat off the carcass without scorching your fingertips. Set meat aside and discard bones.

The remainder of the dish is really make-it-as-you-like-it. There is no wrong way or one correct way to make a delicious pot of chili. I will give you my personal batch but please feel free to tweak this wildly.

Place the following ingredients into a crockpot: 1 can of tomato sauce, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 4 cans of beans (including liquid – your choice of the type(s) you’d like to use), salt, chili powder, pepper, onions, garlic, and the chicken meat. Stir to blend and then cook for 4+ hours on low heat for proper flavor melding and build-up of dinner-anticipation of your family members.

Top with ingredients of your choosing and enjoy!