chili

Barry’s Secret Ingredient Chili

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I have always thought chili was just fine…something great to throw on some Fritos or a hot dog.  I had no idea how much I could love it.  This one is in my top three favorite meals ever, period.  And to his credit, this is my husband’s recipe.  He has tweaked and played with this recipe, then tweaked it a little more over the years to get it juuuust right.  As you’ll see from the ingredients, it does not skimp in flavor.  I seriously don’t even put cheese in this chili (and I’m a cheese fanatic) because I don’t want to do anything to distract from its awesomeness.

And yes, I’m revealing the secret ingredient. You would never, ever know that this chili has oats from the flavor or texture, but it adds just enough of a thickening agent to make this even heartier, making it less like a soup and more like, well, chili!  It’s been a hit at chili cook-offs for years now, and I’m finally sharing it with you as we approach Superbowl Sunday.  Bonus — this can feed a crowd inexpensively, and your party (or you Tuesday – whenever) just won’t be the same without it!  ~Robin

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  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 7 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 T., plus one tsp. chili powder
  • 2 T. cumin
  • 1 T., plus 2 tsp. oregano
  • 1 lg. can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans light red kidney beans, drained
  • 2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
  • ½ c. quick oats, uncooked
  • 16 oz. tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp. ground Cayenne pepper (adjusting up or down depending on your spice preference)
  • 1 – 2 tsp. salt (Start with one tsp. and adjust to taste in ¼ tsp increments – it’s a lot of food so you may end up going to 2 tsp.)

In a large stock pot, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic on medium heat. Once beef is cooked and any fat drained, add all other ingredients and continue to cook on medium heat until heated thoroughly and has had a chance for the flavors to blend.  It just gets better and better leftover (I keep it in my fridge for up to three days).  It does freeze very well; I recommend freezing it in small, individual microwave-safe containers so you can grab a serving to take for lunch anytime over the next six months.

WW Info:  4 points/cup on green (9 pts for 2 cups), 1 point/cup on blue (2 points for 1.75, 3 points for 2 cups), and 1 point/cup on purple (2 points for 1.75, 3 points for 2 cups)

Creamy Chicken Taco Chili

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Every New Year’s Eve on Facebook (for the past several years), I have posted, “Tell me something good that happened this year.”  If you listen to The Bobby Bones radio show, the phrase “tell me something good” may ring a bell.  It’s a segment on his show every morning where the cast reads positive news headlines.  It’s my favorite part of his show.  I mean, who doesn’t love to hear about the GOOD things people are doing in this world?!  There is enough negativity and bad news out there.  It’s nice to focus on the good for a change.  My yearly Facebook post is a knockoff from Bobby’s Tell Me Something Good segment… a chance for me to hear some positive news from my friends and share some positive news of my own.  A perfect way to end one year and move into the next.  If more people focused on the positive things in their lives instead of harping on the bad stuff, this world would be a much more pleasant place, don’t you agree?

This year, I was able to share several good things that happened for me in 2018 (I could have named a bunch but I focused on the highlights):  1.  I became a WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Wellness Guide (a.k.a. meeting receptionist – I’m still not used to the new titles).  I’ve been a lifetime member for YEARS and decided it was time to take a more active roll.  2.  I went back to teaching!  I was a kindergarten teacher for 6 years but I quit teaching and went into a different field when my daughter was a year old (long story) so I’ve been out of public ed for over 10 years.  I’m back and glad to be working with kids again, plus it’s awesome to be back on the same schedule as my own kids.  3.  We more than doubled our blog traffic on Four Sisters Dish in 2018 as compared to our first year, 2017.  That’s amazing!  We have YOU to thank for it.  We want to thank you all for reading, subscribing, commenting, sharing, and most importantly COOKING our recipes!  We love when people make our food and tell us how they like them.  Please continue to do so… we love hearing from our readers and we hope to have more interaction with you 2019!

Tell us something good in the comments!  What was something good that happened for you in 2018?  We hope your 2018 was as great as ours and we at Four Sisters Dish wish you a happy, healthy and delicious 2019!

Speaking of delicious, let’s start the year off with this Creamy Chicken Taco Chili.  This can be made in your crockpot or your electric pressure cooker.  I’ve included instructions for both.  This chili is creamy and rich but it’s guaranteed not to sabotage your healthy diet resolutions.  Enjoy it without guilt!  ~Erin

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Ingredients: 

  • 2 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken individually frozen chicken breasts*
  • 2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) Campbell’s Healthy Request cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 (16 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar mild taco sauce (I used Taco Bell brand.)
  • 1 (16 oz.) can fat-free chicken broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilis, undrained
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (8 oz.) package fat-free cream cheese

Slow Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of a slow-cooker, whisk together cheddar cheese soup, refried beans, taco sauce, chicken broth, corn, Ro-Tel, and spices.  Nestle the frozen chicken breasts into the mixture.  *You can use thawed chicken breast, just be aware that it will cook much faster.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the chicken from the pot and shred it; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the crock pot with the cream cheese, until smooth.  Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pot, stir in the black beans, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Continue cooking for 20-30 minutes of cook time.

Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and corn chips, if desired.

Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of an electric pressure cooker, whisk together cheddar cheese soup, refried beans, taco sauce, chicken broth, corn, Ro-Tel, and spices.  Nestle the frozen chicken breasts into the mixture.

*You can use thawed chicken breast, just be aware that it will cook much faster.  See your pressure cooker owner’s manual for time adjustments for thawed chicken breasts.

Set the electric pressure cooker for 45 minutes.  Quick release pressure and open the pot when all pressure is released.  Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the pressure cooker with the cream cheese, until smooth.  Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pot, stir in the black beans, and return the shredded chicken to the pot.  Using the saute setting, simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are warmed through.  Watch it closely so the cream cheese doesn’t scorch.

Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and corn chips, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info: This soup makes approximately 16 cups.  Each cup is 2 points, not counting optional garnishes.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Chili

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This recipe was inspired by my husband. When I created my Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili, he suggested that Buffalo style might be another tasty variation. He was right! Even if you don’t love Buffalo wings, I am confident you will love this chili. It’s packed with flavor & has just the right amount of kick! ~Erin

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Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. reduced fat or Greek cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (10 ¾ oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request Condensed Cheddar Soup
  • 32 oz. unsalted chicken stock
  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts – individually frozen
  • ½ c. finely chopped carrots
  • ½ c. finely chopped celery
  • 3 cans (15.8 oz. each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 package (about 8 tsp.) Hidden Valley dry ranch dressing mix
  • 1/3 c. Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings sauce
  • Optional garnishes: real bacon bits, green onions, extra buffalo sauce

Slow Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of your slow cooker, whisk together softened cream cheese and condensed cheddar soup until well combined.

Whisk in chicken stock, dry ranch dressing mix, onion powder, garlic powder, and wing sauce. Stir in celery and carrots.

Add frozen chicken breasts (you can use thawed chicken if you prefer; just keep in mind it will cook faster).

Add beans but do not stir them in — leave them on top.

Cook 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. When 1 hours of cook time is left, remove the chicken breasts, shred, and return to pot to finish cooking.

Garnish with a drizzle of Buffalo sauce, bacon bits, and green onions, if desired.

Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of your pressure cooker, whisk together condensed cheddar soup, chicken stock, dry ranch dressing mix, onion powder, garlic powder, and wing sauce. Stir in celery and carrots.

Add frozen chicken breasts (you can use thawed chicken if you prefer; just keep in mind it will cook much faster – refer to your pressure cooker manual for cook times).

Pressurize and cook 40 minutes, then quick release pressure.

Carefully remove the lid when all pressure is released.  Remove the chicken from the pot and shred; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk some the hot liquid from the pot with the cream cheese until smooth; set aside.

Now return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the beans.

Using the saute’ setting, simmer with the lid off for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.

Turn off the heat and stir in the thinned cream cheese.

Garnish with a drizzle of Buffalo sauce, bacon bits, and green onions, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info.: Each 10 oz. serving (about 1 ¼ cups) is 2 points. Serves 10. Optional garnishes should be calculated separately.

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Chili Dog Bake

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Recently, I was hit by a strong craving for chili dogs. Do you ever get a random food craving and you just can’t forget about it until you have it?! No? Just me, then. Ha! Anyway, this particular day, I had beef franks in my fridge and canned chili in my pantry but NO hotdog buns. Ugh! No worries; I can improvise! Canned biscuits saved the day and this Chili Dog Bake was born.

This dish is perfect for a football game watch party or just any day of the week when you literally only have minutes to throw together some dinner. It’s a quick and easy meal that will please the whole family, kids included. Who doesn’t love a chili dog?! ~Erin

Ingredients:

4 Lean beef franks or any 2 SmartPoint frank (I used Ball Park Lean Beef Franks), cut into ½ in. pieces

1 can (2 cups) turkey chili with no beans

1 (7.5 oz.) package buttermilk biscuits, cut into quarters

¾ c. shredded fat free cheddar cheese

1/3 cup finely diced onion, optional

2 T. chopped pickled jalapenos, optional

Mustard, optional

Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray an 8”x8” square casserole dish with cooking spray.

Layer ingredients into the pan in this order: half the biscuit pieces, half the hot dog pieces, half the chili, half the cheese; repeat, ending with cheese.

Sprinkle the top evenly with chopped onion and jalapeno, if desired.

Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until biscuits are cooked through.

Serve with mustard, if desired.

Weight Watchers Info.: This recipe makes 8 servings for 5 Freestyle points each. Or you can have 2 servings (which is a quarter of the entire pan) for only 9 Freestyle points!

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Pimento Chile Chicken

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This Mexican flavored dish is rich and flavorful without being heavy. Mom snagged this recipe from her good friend (and my Godmother) Joyce, and it’s been one of the few things I’ve made regularly since I left for college – so good and so easy! The chiles aren’t too spicy so it can serve a crowd with varied spice tolerances. I like this piled up with pickled jalapeños and my favorite salsa. ~Robin

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ c. cooked, chopped chicken breast (chopped into about 1/2” cubes
  • ½ c. fat free chicken broth
  • 1 ½ c. 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell’s)
  • 1 ½ c. Healthy Request Condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 4-oz. jar pimentos, drained (1/2 c.)
  • 2 4-oz. cans Hatch green chiles, chopped and drained (You can add a 3rd can if you’re just crazy about chiles like I am.)
  • 10 oz. 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 oz. of Doritos (by weight) toasted corn tortilla chips, slightly crushed
  • Pickled jalapeños, green onions, and/or cherry tomatoes for serving (optional)

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Instructions:

Mix all ingredients except Doritos and cheese. In a large casserole dish (I use 9” x 13”), layer ½ of chicken mixture, then ½ of cheese, then ½ of the Doritos.  Repeat the same layers once more, ending with Doritos on top.  Bake at 350° for about 40-45 minutes.  Cover top with foil if Doritos begin to brown too much.  Serve with pickled jalapeños and/or your favorite salsa.

Weight Watchers Info.:  6 points per serving in the new Freestyle plan; makes 8 servings.

Crockpot Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

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I love anything I can put in the crockpot and basically forget about all day. This is one of those recipes. It’s beyond simple. The only real prep work is chopping the jalapenos. You know the appetizer where jalapenos are hollowed out, stuffed with creamy cheeses, wrapped in bacon, and cooked until hot and bubbly? This has all that flavor — but in soup form! It’s not overly spicy since you remove all the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos (that’s where the heat is) but it’s infused with that delicious peppery flavor. Topped with some bacon bits and shredded cheese, I’ve turned the popular popper into a warm bowl of comfort food. So easy, cheesy, and bacon-y.  Yes, that’s a word… at least in my vocabulary. Bacon makes everything better!  ~Erin

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Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast (frozen in single pieces)
  • 4 oz. Greek or Reduced Fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
  • 4-5 large fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped
  • 32 oz. fat free chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 T. salt
  • 3 (15.5 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • For serving:  real bacon bits (I like to cook mine for a few minutes in a small skillet to crisp them up.), reduced fat shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, chopped pickled jalapenos, chopped green onions

Instructions:

In the pot of your slow cooker, whisk together softened cream cheese and condensed cheddar cheese soup until well combined.

Whisk chicken stock, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder into cream cheese/soup mixture.

Add jalapenos and frozen chicken breast. (You can use thawed chicken breast as well but keep in mind, it will cook faster.)

Cook 4-5 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low. When 1 hour of cook time is left, remove the chicken breasts from the pot, shred, and return to pot. Add cannellini beans and continue to cook for the last hour of cook time.

To serve, top each bowl with 1 tablespoon real bacon bits, ¼ cup reduced fat cheese, and, if desired, pickled jalapenos and green onions.

WW Freestyle Info.:   

This recipe makes 8 servings.  Each serving is 13 ounces (weight) or about 1 ½ cups.  Each serving is 3 points.

By adding the suggested amount of bacon bits (1 point) and reduced fat cheese (3 points), the total value of each serving would be 7 points/serving.

White Chicken Chili

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I couldn’t ever find a white chicken chili I liked, so after trying several “meh” recipes, I decided to make my own.  Threw this together on a whim thinking it would at least be a quick, easy weekend prep to weekday meal kind of item.  But it turns out that Barry declared this his favorite thing I’ve ever made, so I figured I better share.  I make this pretty spicy but you can adjust (or eliminate) the heat easily. ~Robin 

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*This post contains affiliate links.  We earn a small commission on purchases made via these links.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced*
  • 4 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced (reduce for lessened spice)
  • 4 4-oz. cans (2 c.) chopped Hatch** green chiles; don’t drain (I use mild on these – more for flavor than heat)
  • 4 cloves minced fresh garlic (or about 2 tsp. minced jarred garlic)
  • 1 1⁄3 c. low-sodium chicken broth (can always add more if you need it, but you don’t want it too soupy)
  • 4 c. cooked shredded chicken breast
  • 3 cans cannellini beans, drained well
  • 3 T. fresh lime juice (I just juice one small lime)
  • 1 T. cumin
  • 1 – 3 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I do the whole tablespoon because I like it spicy!)  
  • 2⁄3 c. cilantro (about 1/2 a bunch) chopped; reserve some for garnish
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp. garlic salt
  • Optional garnishes/accompaniments (not figured in WW points): sliced avocado, shredded Monterey jack cheese, tortilla chips, and/or a cilantro sprig.

Instructions:

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil on med-high heat. Then add onion, jalapeño, chiles, garlic, and sauté for 5-7 minutes (until veggies soften).

Reduce to medium heat. Add drained beans, chicken, broth, cumin, lime juice, garlic salt (sounds like a lot of garlic, but it’s a whole lot of food too — trust me), cilantro, & red pepper flakes. Cook for 12-15 min.

Serve and garnish as desired.

Weight Watchers Info.: This makes a whopping 11 one-cup servings.

Old SmartPoints:  4 points per cup

Freestyle Points:  1 point per cup

*For easy onion dicing, using a ‘gator chopper will save you some tears, literally. They have varied dicing sizes, so be sure to check on that before purchasing – I used one with a ¼ inch dicing size, but you could use a larger one as well. I used to hate chopping onions before my folks got me this for Christmas one year. Now I can chop without tears and much more quickly.  

**You can use any chopped green chile, but I prefer Hatch chiles.  

Chili Mac

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I have a house full of boys. They all help Grandpa on the ranch all summer. After a long, hot day of moving irrigation pipe, a hearty dish is always a favorite of my hard working ranch hands. This is a quick, simple, stick to your ribs kind of recipe (my favorite kind!). It’s full of flavor and won’t disappoint.    ~Kathy

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. cellentani or elbow macaroni (I use whole wheat.)
  • 1 ½ lb. lean ground beef (I use 93% lean)
  • 1 c. finely chopped onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ¼ c. kale or spinach, finely chopped (I prefer kale)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chili beans in chili sauce
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-tel tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 ½ c. beef broth
  • 1 c. low sodium V8 or tomato juice
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped, optional
  • 2 ½ tsp. chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • Pepper

Instructions:

Cook pasta in salted water, according to directions. Drain and return to pot.

In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion and bell pepper. About 5 minutes before beef is finished cooking, add garlic. Remove from pan and drain. Return beef mixture to large skillet or pot. Add remaining ingredients, stir gently over medium heat to combine. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Spoon the meat mixture carefully into pot with cooked noodles. Stir to combine and heat through over low heat.

Serve with cornbread (our favorite) and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 10 servings.  Each serving is 10 ounces (weight) or about 1 1/3 cups.  Each serving is 9 points.

Hearty Beef Chili

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Hello all!  Tracy here.  It was unseasonably cold and rainy here in our neck of the woods recently.  On days where I find myself putting my warm clothes on, I start to look for comfort food – preferably something that I know my family of meat loving boys will eat.  Even the pickiest of eaters in your family will love this chili recipe – especially if you top it with cheese and serve it with a pile of Fritos.  If you like things a little spicy, like we do, you can also add some diced jalapenos to the top.  If you follow Weight Watchers (or attempt to, like me), this comes to 2 Freestyle Points for a one cup serving!  With the new Freestyle program I’ve added extra beans so it’s extra filling with lower points! Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ lbs 95% lean ground beef (You can also use half ground beef, half ground venison, as we often do).
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ T. chili powder
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 ¼ tsp. dried oregano leaves
  • ¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 cans (16 oz. each) petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (16 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can (16 oz.) light red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can (16 oz.) pinto beans, drained

Instructions:

Cook beef, onions, and garlic in a large sauce pan until beef is browned; drain away any excess fat.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except the beans.

Gently stir as mixture heats to boiling, breaking up tomatoes.

Once mixture boils reduce heat to simmer; cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cans of beans, heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer on low, uncovered, for about 20 minutes longer.

Serve topped with cheese, over Fritos, or with your favorite southern cornbread.

Weight Watchers Info.:  Figured with 95% lean ground beef this recipe comes to 2 Freestyle Points for a 1 cup serving.