delicious monday: hatch tomatillo chili

michael and i usually use tomatillos for salsa. on sunday, i substituted them on a whim in chili. i thought, they’re kind of like green tomatoes, right? the chili could have gone two ways: yucky or yummy. fortunately it turned out fantastic. have you ever made chili with tomatillos?

MATERIALS

• olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 5-6 fresh tomatillos, paper removed and chopped
• 1 small can of hatch diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1 can of hatch crushed tomatillos
• 2 cans of great northern beans or white kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• kosher salt and pepper for seasoning
• chopped cilantro

MODIFICATIONS

• add 1 cup of water or chicken stock if the chili is too thick.
• chop a few jalapeños for extra spice.
• ditch the canned tomatillos and substitute with 15-20 roasted, crushed tomatillos.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. preheat a skillet to medium. add a splash of olive oil and sauté the garlic, onions, tomatillos, and peppers until the onions brown slightly. transfer the vegetables to a large pot.
2. pour the cans of tomatoes and tomatillos into the pot and bring to a simmer. add the chili powder and season with salt and pepper.
3. place the chicken thighs on top and cover with a lid. you have two options: keep the heat going and cook the chicken quickly or lower the heat and slow-cook the chicken (crock pot style).
4. when the chicken is cooked, use a fork and shred the thighs to pieces. stir in the beans and corn kernels. continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.
5. serve in bowls with chopped cilantro on top.