Make Your Belly Happy with Southwest Chicken Stew

With the days growing colder, it's important that you prepare something in the kitchen that is hearty and satisfying.  There's nothing like a delicious bowl of stew to really make your taste buds dance.

I recently made a new recipe for my husband and I which turned out great.  Everyone likes to try new recipes, so I'd love to share it with you.  This recipe is so easy to make and it's packed with flavor.

You'll need to use your largest stockpot for this.  The best part is you'll have leftovers that you can easily reheat for a quick lunch the next day.

I use ground chicken in most of my dishes because it's healthier.  You can really substitute any meat you want in it and I'm sure ground beef would taste great as well.

You'll need:

- 3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

-3/4 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

-1 cup chopped onion

-3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

- 1/12 teaspoons chili powder

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

-1/8 teaspoon cayenne 

- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

- 1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes with juices

-1 can (12 to 15 ounces) corn kernels, drained

- 1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chiles

- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Prep Steps:

Cut the chicken into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks and season with salt.  In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally until browned on the outside and juicy on the inside.  This takes about 4 minutes.  Remove the chicken and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pot.  Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the black beans, stewed, tomatoes with their juices, corn, and chiles, bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered until mixture is thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and cilantro, cook until heated through, about 5 minutes longer.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Feel free to add in anything else you desire.  I don't like a ton of spice so I left out the cayenne pepper and chiles.  This is a really great crowd pleasing meal that your family will love.  Serve it with oyster crackers or a your favorite bread roll on the side.

Happy eating!