Lemony Mushroom Chicken Chili + Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Fall has swept in to Nashville the past week. There’s been a slight chill in the air and a little extra crunch in the foliage underfoot. I am so excited for the return of scarves, tights and tall boots. Along with the return of football and cooler temperatures, we get to enjoy seasonal culinary treasures again too. Now because I don’t much care for pumpkin, {GASP!} my favorite fall food item tends to be chili. But not just any chili. No, I must have Lemony Mushroom Chicken Chili + Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread.

And don’t think you can have just any chicken chili. This one is special. Well, at least it is to me…and my family…and my friend who specially requested a big ol’ pot of it before her return home from the hospital with her second baby in tow. A woman brought forth new life in to this world and the only thing she asked for afterwards was this pot of chili. Not to toot my own horn, but this chili is pretty special to people in my little corner of the world. So, I thought it only right to share the recipe with my little corner of the internet too.

What makes it so special? Lemon and mushrooms and even a little white wine. I know, not the traditional ingredients you would find in a pot of chili. I read and researched and taste-tested probably about a dozen chicken chili recipes and never found any that tasted how I wanted. So one day I just gave up and threw a bunch of stuff in a pot and what came back out was magical. Without further ado, here it is. Gather your ingredients. Full recipe at the end of the post.

Using a large (5+ quarts) dutch oven or enameled cast iron pot on medium heat, sweat a large diced white onion and three cloves minced garlic in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt. I bought my cast iron pot at a Ross Store on an ultra deep discount about seven years ago. They are simply the best for chili, stews, roasts and any hearty meals. If you don’t already have one, they are an investment, but it is so worth it. They last forever and food tastes amazing in them. If you need some suggestions, I might be IN LOVE with this Teal Beauty from Martha Stewart available through Amazon. (affiliate link). There are other more economical options, but I just had to show you this one. Whatever you buy, make sure you keep and follow the care instructions that come with your dutch oven. It’s one of the best kitchen investments you’ll make.

After the onions and garlic are caramelized and fragrant, add your spices: Chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle pepper, cayenne pepper, white pepper and freshly ground black pepper. The idea is to toast all the spices for about one minute. Then scoot the onions, garlic and spices to the edges of the the pot and add ground chicken to the center.

Let the chicken caramelize too, breaking it up for even cooking. Don’t be afraid if everything gets really brown. All those little brown bits are going to taste amazing in the end, so long as nothing turns black. If the pot gets too dry, just add a little more oil.  The utensil I use to break up ground meat is a miracle tool that my mother-in-law gave me one year. I have no idea what its actually called, but you can get one like it here: Mix N Chop.

Now that the chicken is no longer pink, scoot everything to the edges and add your mushrooms. If they aren’t already bite-sized, chop them up some more. You are just going to sweat these a little and let them get brown. Around this time, you want to add some white wine or hard cider. Hard cider is a new addition as I was out of white wine…and I LOVED it! Great substitute. With the help of this additional moisture, (and using only a wooden spoon) scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Brown bits= flavor.

Drain and rinse your cannellini beans, but not the mixed beans. I almost always used Lucks brand mixed beans. Unlike most canned beans, they aren’t stored in oil, but some sort of smushed bean goodness. That helps thicken the chili. I also end up smushing about half of the cannellini beans too. Now add your beans and enough water to cover your beans. For me, that’s usually three cans of beans and 4 cans of water. I just use the mixed beans can for the water. Finally, add two packets of Knorr brand chicken stock concentrate. You can break them up if you want, but they’ll just melt into the chili goodness. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and leave. Come back and stir every five to ten minutes for about thirty minutes. Now the weird part. Add lemon juice. I usually zest a lemon and use the juice of at least one whole lemon. I’ve been known to use two lemons if the first wasn’t very juicy. Just taste it after the first one and see how you like it. Now add some milk or half and half. Again to taste, but I usually go with about half a cup. Stir and taste test. Add salt, pepper lemon or milk, depending on what you think it needs. Let simmer for another 15 minutes while you make the cornbread. Finally, chop up some Italian parsley and stir in right before serving. It adds a little freshness and makes it look pretty too.

Heat up your oven. Empty a packet of Martha White Country Cornbread in a bowl. Add 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 sup of shredded cheddar and one jalapeno seeded and very finely diced. Stir gently and cook according to directions. I typically double the recipe and go for muffins just because they cook faster. Now serve it all up and send me blessings for giving you this fantastic recipe. I’d be really honored if you pinned it to pinterest too.

Chili Ingredients

• 1 large white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs ground Garlic
• 1 Tbs salt
• 2 Tbs Chili Powder
• 1 Tbs ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Chipotle pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 carton baby portabelo mushrooms
• 2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can Lucks mixed beans
• water
• 2 packets Knorr Chicken stock concentrate
• zest and juice of 1-2 lemon(s)
• 1/2 cup milk or half and half
• 1 bunch italian flat leaf parsley