Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Brrrr! Anyone else feeling the winter chill these days? We may not have heaps of snow like some people (thankfully) but the temperatures in SoCal have dipped far enough to require us to turn our heat on.

I remember back in the old days, when Valerie and I first moved to San Diego, our apartment didn’t even have heat. We really could have used some of this slow cooker chicken chili back then to warm us up. In those days we were surviving on Easy Mac, and american cheese slices, so we were forced to stay warm by layering on sweats and drinking through the cold. As much as I loved the adventure, I’m happy to be in this toasty house with a pot of chili made from actual food items right now.

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili 

1 to 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 serrano chili, finely diced 

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies 

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

In a small bowl mix cumin, oregano, cayenne and salt. Sprinkle chicken breast pieces with spice mixture. Fill the bottom of the crockpot with chopped onions. Place chicken breasts on top of the onions. Add in beans, garlic, serrano, green chilies and chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. 

What are your favorite cold weather foods? I’m usually partial to soup, but I’d love to get some new ideas!