Chicken Chili with Bacon & Pineapple

Chicken Chili with Bacon & Pineapple!!!

I LOVE Everything about FALL!  The crisp air and clear blue skies, the smells of pumpkin and spice, watching God's beauty in the changing of the leaves and landscapes, decorating with scarecrows, pumpkins and corn stalks, wearing vests and scarves and rain boots---and making STEWS & CHILI!!!!!

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This is a family favorite around here and I came up with it by trying to make a chili that I tasted at our local CHILI COOK OFF in town!  It's not exactly like THAT one but I think I've got as close as I can without having his recipe in hand :)

MAKES one large pot of Chicken Chili with Bacon & Pineapple!!!

3-4 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium sized sweet onion
1 green pepper
6 - large garlic cloves, minced

1 package of bacon, cooked
3 cans of pinto beans, drained
3 cans of red beans, drained
1 - 36 oz can of Hunt's Traditional Spaghetti Sauce (or your favoite)
1 - 16 oz bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (or your favorite)
1 package of Chili Seasoning
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
Green Onion, for garnish
Shredded Cheddar Cheese, for garnish

Start by bringing half of a large pot full of water to a rolling boil.  Salt the water and add your chicken breasts.  Once the water has come back up to a rolling boil, cover and kick the heat down to medium high heat boiling chicken for about an hour. Drain the chicken and then dice it up into fairly large bite size chunks.  (You don't want the chunks too small or they will fall apart in the chili)


 

Next, add your 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to another large pot (this is the one your chili will be in).  Heat the oil over medium high heat.  

Dice up your onion, green pepper and mince your garlic cloves.

Once your oil is heated -- go ahead and toss in all of the onion.  Saute the onion for about 5 minutes and then add your green pepper and garlic for about 3 more minutes.  
NOTE:  Your just trying to soften and bring out flavors....not cook it down.  This way you still have some texture and lots of flavor in the chili!

Toss in the chicken and turn your heat down to medium mixing everything together. 

Now....it's time to add the BACON!  BACON makes EVERYTHING BETTER!!!! :)  I cook my bacon in the oven at 400 degrees on a cooking rack inserted in a cooking sheet.  this way all the grease drains off the bacon.  When it's done---I blot EVERY piece to dry off as MUCH GREASE as possible before it cools off and 'becomes part of the bacon'!

Chop your bacon into similar bite size pieces to your chicken and toss it in the chili pot!  Trying to keep everything somewhat uniformed in size and edible :)

Add ALL of your drained beans, can of spaghetti sauce, chili seasoning packet and BBQ sauce and stir until mixed thoroughly.  Add your pineapple last and stir.

At this point....everything is cooked.  Heat it up over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes and it should be ready to serve!!!!!

I usually serve my chili with shredded cheese and green onion on the side so people can garnish if they want too!  The perfect topping for an AMAZING chili!

I HOPE you enjoy the chili as much as my FAMILY and I do!  Traditionally -- we make chili and cornbread when carving pumpkins so I can assure you...we will make it again this fall!!!!

Let me know what YOU thought!!  Did YOUR family like it?? LOVE IT??

Healthy Baked Potato Bar

Healthy Baked Potato Bar!!!!

So when it comes to eating healthy....sometimes you have to be creative if you don't want to give up things that you LOVE.  For me...I LOVE baked potatoes!  So I really wanted to find a way to eat them in a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

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Here's what I cam up with and it's FULL of flavor!

Calories:  About 200 with all the toppings using a 100 calorie medium sized potato

Prep Time: About 10 minutes

Servings: Four

4 - Medium Sized Baked Potato, cooked

8 - Slices of Canadian Bacon (SUPER LOW FAT), diced

1/2 - cup reduced fat OR fat free sour cream

1/2 - cup of chopped green onions

Salt

Pepper

Start by dicing up your Canadian Bacon.

Now....start cooking them in a non - stick pan just like bacon...until they are just crispy.

Now your green onions....

Add each ingredient to a serving bowl INCLUDING the sour cream and set it up presentations style on a cool try or with a fun dish.  

And you ARE done!  Full of flavor.....HEALTHY...simple!  Enjoy!

Parmesan Asparagus Stuffed Chicken with Garlic & Herb Red Potatoes

Parmesan Asparagus Stuffed Chicken with Garlic & Herb Red Potatoes!

Oh...this was SO good and I completely made this from scratch with just what I had around the house.  NO SPECIAL trip to the grocery store for ANYTHING!  I had already thawed some chicken but only TWO breasts so I had to figure out what to do with them and I have a TON of asparagus that's gonna go bad soon if I don't use it up....so....

Parmesan Asparagus Stuffed Chicken with Garlic & Herb Red Potatoes it is!!!!

(Super duper healthy too....:)

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My son...ate EVERYTHING on his plate!

NUTRITION FACTS:

Calories: About....175 in each roll up (STUFFED)  And....about 300 calories in a serving of potatoes

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Chicken:

2 - Large 6 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

4 - Pieces of Canadian Bacon (fully cooked)

12 - stalks of asparagus

1/4 - cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 - cup fat free feta cheese

1/4 - cup plain non-fat yogurt

1 - tablespoon fresh basil, finely shopped (or 1 teaspoon of dried)

1 - tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, finely shopped (or 1 teaspoon of dried)

1 - teaspoon salt

1/2 - teaspoon ground pepper

Pam Cooking Spray

Potatoes:

4 - Medium sized red potatoes, thinly sliced

2-3 - Large garlic cloves, minced

4 - Sliced Canadian Bacon, diced into bits

2 - tablespoons fresh basil, finely shopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)

1/4 - cup parmesan , shredded

Salt

Pepper

Pam Cooking Spray

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a cooking sheet by lining it with tin foil (you will thank me later) and spraying with Pam cooking spray.

Cut each of your chicken breasts in half length wise.

Mix together your Parmesan, Feta, Yogurt, Basil, Parsley, Salt and Pepper.

Place a slice of Canadian Bacon, a quarter of your cheese mixture and 3 asparagus spears cut to fit on each half of chicken breast.  And roll up.  Place seam side down on your prepared cooking sheet. Cook at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

NOW...Let's start your Potatoes!  Heat up a large pan on medium high heat and spray with Pam cooking spray.  Add your diced Canadian Bacon slices and cook until crispy like bacon bits (just a couple minutes). 

FRESH, HEALTHY INGREDIENTS....NUMMMMY!

 Add your garlic right about now....and mix evenly with bacon bits.  Then add your sliced potatoes, parmesan, basil and salt / pepper to taste.  Cover and cook about 20 minutes - - should be done when chicken is done or close to it.  STIR and Toss it around every so often.

Woot!  Woot!  You are done!  Finished...WAAALAAA!  Lovely flavors....I'm SO glad this turned out!  I took pictures along the way HOPING it would :)

Be SURE to comment below and let me know how YOURS turned out! 

I linked up this Recipe at....

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