green chiles

Chicken Tortilla Chowder

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When the temperatures in our neck of Oklahoma dip into the area where the meteorologists start using snowflake and icicle graphics, I look for any excuse to stay cuddled up by my fireplace. I want to sip coffee and cocoa all day long and eat nothing but steaming hot bowls of soup. What I do not want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so this recipe for a creamy and hearty Chicken Tortilla Chowder is perfect! I use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken that I always keep in my freezer so the prep time is super short, but you can use any white meat chicken (boiled, grilled, or open a can if you’re really in a hurry). Not only is this soup really good, it’s only 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle Points per cup, without the cheese. Makes 12, 1 cup servings. ~Tracy

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Ingredients:

  • 3 cups canned chicken broth
  • 2 cans (10 oz. each) cream of potato soup
  • 2 cans (10 oz. each) healthy request cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 2 cups shredded white meat chicken
  • 1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn, drained (regular corn is fine too if you can’t find Mexicorn)
  • 2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chili peppers (we like it spicy so I use ½ jalapenos)
  • 6, 6” fat free flour tortillas, torn into bite size pieces
  • Optional garnishes: your favorite shredded cheese and some chopped green onions to taste

Instructions:

Combine broth, soups, and milk in large soup pan. Heat on medium low temp until all combined. Add the chicken, corn, chili peppers, and mix well. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add the torn pieces of tortilla and heat on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes until tortillas become somewhat softened.

Serve topped with green onions and a little of your favorite shredded cheese. We also like ours with a big slice of corn bread!

Weight Watchers Info.: This recipe makes 12 1-cup servings. Each cup is 4 Freestyle SmartPoints.

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.  

Aunt Annie’s Green Chile Corn Casserole

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Ever have a day when all you want to do is hang out with the kids instead of spending time in the kitchen? Well, Robin felt that way daily while she was going to school and working full-time. 🙂 We’re sure many of you can relate to an overly busy schedule at times…Enter Aunt Annie’s green chile corn casserole!

Always one of our favorites, this rich and creamy corn dish with a mild chile flavor can be thrown together very quickly – and even cooked in the microwave if needed on those days when the oven is full.

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Garnish with a pepper if you want to get fancy!

This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so you may want to cut it in half. This is the perfect side dish for busy week nights, but it’s decadent enough to serve on holidays. ~Robin

Ingredients:

  • 2 4-oz. cans of chopped green chiles, drained (Hatch chiles are best, if available)
  • 4 15-oz. cans of whole kernel corn, drained
  • 2 packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • ½ c. of milk
  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Soften cream cheese and butter in the microwave (just enough that they’ll mix in well), heating on high for short intervals. Set aside.

Drain chiles and dump into a small separate bowl; remove any stray stems.

Place drained corn into a 3 quart, oven-safe casserole dish. Add drained chiles, cream cheese, butter, and milk. Stir together, then salt to taste (will taste saltier when cooked so be sure to err on the side of caution with salt). Cook until boiling.

Tips:

For better presentation, stir well again before serving.

If cooking in the microwave, loosely cover the dish with a paper towel to prevent splattering or, if using a lid, be sure to tilt the lid to the side to allow space for steam to vent for safety. Cook on high, first for 3 minutes, then in 2 minute intervals, stirring each time.