Easy Chicken Chili

Makes 8 – 1 cup servings

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground chicken
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper. chopped
• 5 – 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can (19oz/540ml) Unico mixed beans (can use white
•         or red kidney beans instead)
• 1 can (19oz/540ml) Aylmer’s chili tomatoes
• 1 can (19oz/540ml) Aylmer’s italian tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• cayenne pepper
• chili powder
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Pour olive oil into a deep pot with a thick bottom. Add the mushrooms, onions and peppers and saute on medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add the raw chicken to the pot and cook over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked. Stir frequently. (While chicken is cooking, I usually add a small bit of the spices and salt & pepper into the meat/veggie mixture for flavor.
3. Once chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, drain off any excess liquid. Add the all the canned ingredients and tomato paste and stir to mix thoroughly. Add more spices to taste. (Keep in mind that the chili powder and cayenne will get hotter/spicier the longer the chili sits.)
4. Simmer on low heat for at least 20 minutes and stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom.
5. Serve with crusty bread and grated cheese for sprinkling. I used cheddar because that is what I had available, but a Monterey Jack would be nice too.