One Girl, One Beautiful Life

One of my all time favorite comfort foods is soup. Soups of all kinds. Actually the last few years for Christmas I have agonized over what to give my grandparents for Christmas. They have everything they need or want. But I decided to make them soups and freeze them. They LOVED the idea and enjoy the fact that there are several pre-made dinners in the freezer.

The recipe below is one of my favorite soups, I make it constantly, at least once a month. The recipe is from Rachael Ray, the queen of 30 minute meals. I did adapt it a bit to fit my desires more.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

from the kitchen of Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 ribs celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
• 1 can stewed, fire-roasted or crushed tomatoes (15 ounces)
• 1 sack whole grain tortilla chips, lightly crushed
• 3/4 pound Maytag Blue cheese, crumbled
• A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Place a large pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the ground chicken and break it up, lightly browning it for 5 minutes.

Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, paprika and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7-8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and the stewed, fire-roasted or crushed tomatoes to the chili and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes more to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, pre-heat the broiler.

Spread the chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of Buffalo Chicken Chili with a few blue cheese chips.

Tips:

I add half the hot sauce to the recipe

I don't make the blue cheese chips. I do serve it with crumbled blue cheese & hot sauce so each person can garnish their bowl to their own liking. Chips are served on the side - because who doesn't like eating tortilla chips with their chili?