Friday, September 13, 2013

Oktoberfest Chicken Chili - Beer Chicken Chili - 52 Cooking with Beer


This is a FANTASTIC Chili... Deep RIch Tomato gravy surrounds Onions, Beans, Peppers and Lots and lots of Chicken.  This is a strong seasonal spicy chili (use less than listed if you want a milder flavor).  Cajun Spices add a lot to the mix.  I LOVE THIS CHILI, by far best chicken chili I have ever had.

And into the mix... a Bottle of Beer!

It's almost the season... For a cook, most of the summer fruits and veggies are still available fresh and fantastic (like the Tomatoes I used for this).  But also time to start thinking about Fall and Winter dishes... Like a delicious hardy bowl of chili.

It's also almost October, time for starting to think seasonal cooking... Halloween dishes, followed closely by Thanksgiving and then back to back Christmas and New Years... Just around the corner.

So take a pause and think Oktoberfest!!!  Hunt down a local seasonal beer celebrating all things beer... Like my local, Boulevard Brewing Company' Bob's 47 Oktoberfest, honoring the season as well as Kansas City's own brewmaster, Bob Werkowitch who graduated the US Brewer's Academy in 1947 -
Our fall seasonal beer, Bob’s ’47 Oktoberfest is a medium-bodied, dark amber brew with a malty flavor and well-balanced hop character. With this Munich-style lager we salute our friend Bob Werkowitch, Master Brewer and graduate of the U.S. Brewer’s Academy, 1947.   An amber-brown, medium-bodied beer with a blend of caramel and toasted malt flavor and a low level of hop bitterness and flavor.
AromaCrisp, toasty
MaltProminent toasted, caramel malt aroma
HopsLow bitterness, low floral character
BalanceMalt
BodyMedium
Ingredients
Malt: Pale Malt, Munich, Cara 20, Amber, Malted Wheat
Hops: Perle, Saphir, Vanguard 
Now, as to the Chili...

I made a thick tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes (easily changed to canned tomatoes if you like).  I used some Cajun spices as well as Chili Powder and Cumin.  The rest is pretty much standard chili ingredients.  I like beans, so my chili has beans (sorry purists).  Onions, Peppers, I added a can of Corn for sweetness (and color)....

And I went the lazy easy route and just chopped up the meat from a store bought fully cooked, fully seasoned store bought chicken.  Light and dark meat (more flavor in the dark).


OK... Here's what I did...


Chicken Chili -
Beer Chicken Chili


Ingredients
  • 1 (12 Oz) Bottle Beer (I Celebrated Oktoberfest with a Boulevard Brewery Bob's 47 Oktoberfest Beer)
  • 4 Pounds Fresh Tomatoes, cored and chopped (can substitute 1 large can of chopped Tomatoes)
  • 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 TBS Cajun Spice mix (store bought or make your own like my "Big Easy in a Jar" recipe)
  • 2 TBS Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
  • 1 Cup Chopped Sweet peppers
  • 1 Can Bushes Brand Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
  • 1 Can Bushes Brand Chili Beans, Drained and Rinsed
  • Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken, diced, White meat and Dark
  • 1 Can Sweet Corn, Drained and rinsed
  • Sour Cream and sliced Green Onions to garnish
  • Optional - 1 small can Tomato paste
Cooking Directions
  1. In a large Crock Pot slow cooker, set on High, add the beer, Tomatoes, Vinegar, Cajun Spices, Chili Powder and Cumin. Stir to mix.
  2. Allow to simmer covered for 6-8 hours until the tomatoes have completely broken down and the pot is mostly liquid. Blend with a hand blender to break up any clumps. Sauce should now be thick. Add a can of Tomato Paste if needed to thicken the sauce.
  3. Add Onions and Both cans of beans, stir to mix and simmer for 1 additional hour.
  4. After the hour, add a can of Sweet Corn and the diced meat from a store bought pre-cooked, pre-seasoned Rotisserie Chicken. Stir to mix.
  5. Garnish with Sour Cream and Sliced Green Onions
  6. Serve HOT and ENJOY!!!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Recipes for Soup, Chili or Chowder" (Now more than 52 and still growing)

Soup from Scratch is one of the great kitchen joys.  The house smells amazing and the soup warms to the bone.  From broth to chowder, vegetarian to loaded up chili... Even a great idea for a party (love the Potato Soup Bar idea).  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!
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So, I am pleased to add this as one of my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)

MUCH more than a chicken sandwich.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store bought bird to shine with just a little extra work.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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I am also pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Cooking With BEER Recipes"!!!

Everyone knows about cooking with wine, but BEER has so much more complex flavors.  I imagine the day after beer was invented, someone made an Irish Stew. Cooking with beer infuses recipes with this intoxicating concoction of hops and barley in an effort to enhance and enrich everyday food..  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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