Did you ever think about how hard it must be to learn the English language? Words spelled the same way are pronounced differently and have different meanings. For example, “desert” means to abandon, or it can refer to a dry, sandy environment. Rules have tons of exceptions and words that you would think would be pronounced the same are not. For example, “trough”, “rough”, and “bough” each have very different pronunciations. Can you imagine how confusing it must be for a poor soul learning the language?
There’s also a word to used to describe a cool autumn morning that sounds exactly like a word meaning a bowl of spicy meat and bean stew. Today, I’m talking about the spicy stew called chili. With this recipe, I’m paying tribute to Buffalo Chicken Wings. I don’t eat chicken wings often, but on the occasions that I do, I always overindulge. I almost enjoy the celery and chunky blue cheese dressing as much as the wings.
I grew up in a football-loving family, but somehow, that gene didn’t make it into my DNA. My Dad and brother are usually glued to the television during the season, and my brother has been known to watch multiple games at the same time. Although my interest in football is practically non-existent, I do on occasion get caught up in Super Bowl mania. For the most part, I’m more interested in the food and the commercials than the game.
With Super Bowl just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about what I would make if we had a Super Bowl party or got invited to one. Chili and Buffalo wings are obvious choices, so I decided to do a mashup and this recipe is the result.
I usually include some form of legumes in chili, but for this version, I wanted to put more emphasis on the chicken and celery so I omitted them. I made a dressing with yogurt and blue cheese to top the chili. Of course, you couldn’t call it Buffalo Chicken Chili without hot sauce. Jim is a lightweight when it comes heat, so my version isn’t blazing hot, but feel free to spice it up with as much hot sauce as you like.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 stalks celery, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce, or your favorite brand (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
Celery leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Saute celery, carrot, onion, and garlic for 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Add ground chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browning.
2. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, hot sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Mix yogurt and blue cheese in a small bowl. Ladle chili into bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt mixture and garnish with celery leaves. Serve immediately.
https://southernboydishes.com/2015/01/23/buffalo-chicken-chili/You may also like:
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This sounds wonderful and I love that it can be ready without simmering for hours. Can’t wait to try it! By the way – I was wondering – what kind of camera do you use to take your food photos? Bon Appetit has nothing on you!
Thank you so much for stopping by, Danielle, and I appreciate the compliment! I use a Nikon D600 for all my photography. Hope you’ll drop by again.
I love all sorts of chili! Never had a Buffalo Chicken Chili before (although I’ve made BBQ chili, which is wonderful). This is great — thanks.
This is such a creative recipe, and you nailed it on the photos.
When I go to our family Superbowl party, I feel like I should wear a sign that says “I’m just here for the food!”
Thank you, Kalyn! The food is definitely the best thing about a Super Bowl Party!