Dad's Chicken Chili

The This is one of my dad's recipes.  He keeps a notepad in his kitchen where he jots down his creations.  Last week I took some pictures of his notes and am trying to re-create the recipes one by one so our whole family can enjoy them.  He is an excellent cook so I trust anything that he enjoyed enough to write down!

Ingredients

1/2 already roasted chicken or 2 chicken breasts

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

3 tbsp chili powder

1 cup of chicken stock

24 oz of crushed or strained tomatoes

1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of soy sauce

1 15 oz can of small white beans, drained and rinsed

5 oz of fresh baby spinach

Salt & pepper

Optional serving ideas: grated cheddar, sour cream, diced avocado, diced red onion, corn chips or corn bread.

For the chicken, if you have an already roasted chicken, shred and set-aside.  If you have raw chicken, simmer in water for 15 minutes, allow to cool enough to handle and then shred.  Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Sauté the bell pepper and onion for about 5 minutes until translucent.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for another 2 minutes.  Add in the chili powder and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the shredded chicken and stir to coat. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil and allow to reduce for about 5 minutes.  Add in the tomatoes, balsamic and soy sauce.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes uncovered.  After 45 minutes, add in white beans, spinach and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for another 15 minutes and serve.  I like to make a little toppings bar with the serving ideas items so everyone can make their own special bowl.