Chili Chicken Stew-Creative Meals that Multiply for Busy Families
Spring is in the air and families are beginning the frenzy of evenings filled with sports practices, games, spring music concerts and all sorts of activities. As a mom who prefers not to grab fast food for her family on the way to or from all the evening activities….we have to have a strategy. When we were in the flow of 4 girls doing multiple activities and I felt like I was driving circles around our community, I came up with a creative strategy of “meals that multiply“. This is the first installment of some of the meals I made regularly that literally lasted for a week and the family never knew that our dinners came from the same big pot of stew.
Chili Chicken Stew (Crockpot or stovetop)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces if cooking in a pot on stove)
1 large onion chopped
1 yellow, orange or red pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
2 Tbs oil
2 (15oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans
1-2 cups pace picante sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Place whole chicken breasts, fresh or frozen, in the crockpot. Put all remaining ingredients in the order listed in crock pot and cook on low 6 hours. Remove chicken from stew and shred. Place back into crock pot, mix and serve. 
To make on stovetop, cut chicken into bite sized pieces and cook chicken, onion, pepper, and garlic in oil in a large pot until chicken is white and no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours. This chili chicken stew can be made the day before and freezes well.
Now here is where the magic begins……This one pot of chili chicken stew can be served in so many different forms. Your family will never know that out of one pot of stew you can make so many different meals. This is how you make meals that multiply….
1. Serve over rice with fun toppings like grated cheese, avocado or guacamole, chopped cilantro, greek yogurt or sour cream, more salsa to put on top.
2. Serve over a small bowl of chips for fancy nachos with the above mentioned toppings.
3. Make a big green salad with chopped carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, corn and any other vegetable that you like in your Mexican salad. Toss with a light salsa vinaigrette dressing. Place a scoop of the chili chicken stew on top of each bowl of salad and top with grated cheese, greek yogurt, extra salsa.
4. Make into burritos by draining off the stew liquid with a slotted spoon and roll in a tortilla. Add some grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream/yogurt and guacamole. Roll up and serve.
For a healthy and fun dinner on the go you can roll these burritos in well sealed foil and pack into a Hot/Cold bag to take to go. This was one of our BEST family softball evening meals. Take along a bag of carrot and celery sticks and a small container of salsa or guacamole.
- Chili Chicken Stew (Crockpot or stovetop)
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces if cooking in a pot on stove)
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 yellow, orange or red pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
- 2 Tbs oil
- 2 (15oz)cans stewed tomatoes
- 2 (15 oz)cans pinto beans
- 1-2 cups pace picante sauce
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1-2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- Place whole chicken breasts, fresh or frozen, in the crockpot.
- Put all remaining ingredients in the order listed in crock pot and cook on low 6 hours.
- Remove chicken from stew and shred.
- Place back into crock pot, mix and serve.
- To make on stovetop, cut chicken into bite sized pieces and cook chicken, onion, pepper, and garlic in oil in a large pot until chicken is white and no longer pink.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours.
- This chili chicken stew can be made the day before and freezes well.
What tricks do you use to recreate leftovers into new meals?
