Healthy Lentil, Black Bean & Chicken Chili

It's Super Bowl time and what goes better at a Super Bowl party than a big pot of chili.  So as we all sit back and decide to be couch potatoes for one evening, let's do it with some guilt-free chili.  I used lean ground chicken in this chili (instead the standard ground beef) and loaded it up with healthy black beans and lentils. 

Ingredients:

The Spices:
5 tsp of chili con carne powder
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tbs red chili flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp onion powder
1 pinch of ground cinnamon

Lentils and Ground Chicken:

2 cups picked through and well rinsed dry brown lentils. I used a Goya brand.

1 pound lean ground chicken
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced



 

Beans:

2 (15oz) cans drained rinsed black beans

1 can of Bush's Baked Vegetarian Beans or 1-2 Tbs of brown sugar. I like to use this because it is cooked with Brown sugar and it gives the chili a nice sweetness. You can always add some brown sugar as a substitute. I do like the white beans from the Baked beans and the other spices.
** I only recommend Bush's brand because it is only made with real brown sugar and spices. It does not contain any high fructose corn syrup and I have seen most of the other brands do have a lot of "unnatural ingredients". ** No, I am not on the board of the Bush's co. : )

Directions:

Heat a large pot on the stove and add 1Tbs of canola oil. Brown your chicken, onions and garlic.  Then add the spices and saute for 1-2 minutes. I recommend you do not add salt yet because it will prevent the lentils from cooking fast.

Then add the rinsed lentils and one can of diced tomatoes.

Add about 5 cups of water and simmer on the stove at medium-high for about 20 minutes until most of the water cooks out and the lentils are tender.

Next add the Black beans, one 8oz can of tomato sauce and the Bush's Baked Beans. Add salt and pepper to taste here. If the chili is dry at this point add 1-2 cups of water to simmer.  Simmer for another 10-15 minutes on medium-high. Stir often and cook until chili thickens up.  Taste for seasoning and serve.
Serve with any of your favorite chili toppings (ie... sour cream, shredded cheese, etc...)  This made about 5qts of chili and will serve 6-10 people.   Enjoy.

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