Chicken Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

This recipe is definitely a keeper!  Everyone in the family loves it both as a stew and oddly enough as a hearty “dip” with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet potato, diced into small cubes (I leave skins on but you can peel if you prefer)

1 large onion

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspooon ground chipotle pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups of chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes (I use Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime)

1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed

2  boneless chicken breasts, uncooked

1/2 cup quinoa

I like to cook it all in my cast iron casserole “pot” on the stove top and then in the oven.  You could also definitely use your crockpot!

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Heat oil and saute the sweet potato and onion until for about 5 minutes until the onion is softened.  Then add the garlic and cook for about another minute.
3. Stir in the chili powder, chipotle, cumin, and salt.  Add the chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes, and chicken.  (I slice my chicken breast so they are a little thinner and then push down into pot so that veggies and broth cover them.)
4. Put lid on and cook for 2 1/2-3  hours at 250 degrees.  After three hours, add in the quinoa.  I let it cook for another hour or so.  I know it is ready when the chicken just shreds apart with a wooden spoon.  Gently “pull” chicken into shreds and chunks.
5. Garnish with whatever you enjoy… avocado, lime, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, rice… it will all taste great!