Apple Chicken Chili

This is the first time an onion has ever made me cry. And I'm not just talking a little watering eyes. I'm talking my eyes are stinging and tears are pouring out of my eyes. I had to run out of the kitchen every minute to sit on the couch and pry my eyes open so that I could go back in to continue cutting the onion. What should have taken me 1 minute to do literally took 30 minutes. It probably didn't help that at one point my eyes started stinging so bad that closed my eyes and when I tried to put the knife down I almost cut off my finger (mom if you're reading, I know how to use a knife I promise.. I will not cut off my finger. for everyone else... I have a large gash on my middle finger from the knife). So I had to take a little first aid break in there as well. After all of that I was thinking this chili better be pretty dang good otherwise I'm going to be reallll pissed that I just burned out my eye sockets and cut my finger. And let me tell you it did not disappoint me one bit.

I'm not even sure I can technically call this dish a chili. According to Google, the definition for chili is as follows:

chil·i/ˈCHilē/

Noun: A small hot-tasting pod of a variety of capsicum, used chopped (and often dried) in sauces, relishes, and spice powders. A spicy stew of beef and red chilies or chili powder, often with beans and tomatoes.

So I guess based on the second definition it's kind of a chili. It has chili powder and beans-- so it's kind of a toss up. Either way, its pretty deliciously awesome. The base of the chili is pretty thick and creamy and not too spicy, I really like it. If you know me at all you know I am not a huge fan of spicy foods so this had just the right amount. Also, the apples seem like an odd combination with the chicken in this dish but aren't as sweet as you think they would be. They cook down and just add a nice sort of sweet crunch. One of my friends was concerned about the apples in there because he doesn't like it when there are too many different textures. But it's really not a big crunch, it's pretty similar to the texture of the onion in here. You can tell it's there but it doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors. I would recommend using a crisp type of apple like a Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith. I ended up using one Gala and one Granny Smith because that's what I had on hand. If you use softer kinds of apples they will break down too much and you'll end up with mushy apples throughout your chili which does not sound that appetizing. I made the chili on Sunday and have been eating it every day since. It makes great leftovers. It's amazing when served with a nice crusty bread or tortillas. I've been eating it with a wheat sourdough bread. I'm all about the crusty breads. This is definitely one recipe I will be making every year about this time-- it's perfect for the season!

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken, cut into small bite sized pieces
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 apples, cut into bite sized pieces (I used one Gala and one Granny Smith)
1 onion, chopped
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk, I used 1% but the original recipe says use 2% or whole milk
15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed
15 oz can white beans, rinsed (I ended up omitting the pinto beans and using 2 cans white Northern beans)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium. Add the chicken, chili powder and cumin and give it a quick stir so that the spices coat the chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through 5-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and set aside. Scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a wooden spoon to loosen up all the goodness that just stuck to the pan. Then coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil again. Add the onions and apples and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and onions to the bowl with the chicken in it. Again scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. In the same pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the flour turns a light brown; it should take a few minutes. Don't take your eye off of it because it will burn. Add the chicken stock and milk and whisk until the sauce thickens. Stir in the apple, onion, and chicken mixture. Then stir in the beans and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld together. Add in the cheese and stir until it melts. Serve with tortillas or bread and extra cheese.

Source: Recipe from Kitchen Trial and Error