TEX MEX BEER & QUESO CHICKEN CHOWDER WITH CRUNCHY TORTILLA STRIPS

Soups and Chowders|Chicken|Tex-Mex

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 small orange bell pepper, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1, 12 ounce beer (your favorite flavor)

1, 16 ounce jar Authentic Desert Pepper Chile con Queso – Medium

1 cup chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup quick cooking rice (like Minute Rice)

2, 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1, 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes

2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded into bite size pieces (rotisserie or leftover chicken is great here)

½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped (plus more for garnish)

4, 6” tortillas

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large 5-6 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeño to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add all of the bell peppers and the salt and black pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes more until the peppers start to soften.

Add the beer to the pot and bring to a boil scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the Desert Pepper Chile con Queso and whisk until smooth. Add the chicken stock and cream to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a very low boil, stirring. Stir in the Minute rice and cook for 5 minutes on low.

Add the black beans, corn, and chopped tomatoes (including their juices) to the pot and cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting all of the flavors meld. Add the shredded chicken and chopped cilantro to the pot. Let simmer on low until you are ready to serve.

To make the tortilla strips, cut the tortillas in half and stack the halves on top of each other. Slice into thin ¼ – ½” wide strips.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan (or fryer) to 365 degrees. Drop the tortilla strips into the hot oil in batches and fry, tossing occasionally with tongs or a spider until they are golden brown and crispy. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels and season immediately with salt.

Serve the hot chowder in bowls and garnish with the tortilla strips, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges for squeezing. DEVOUR!!!

Visit https://desertpepper.com for more of their delicious salsas and queso and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DesertPepperTradingCo and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/DesertPepperTradingCo

You can purchase Desert Pepper Salsa products at: Sprouts, Publix, Hannaford, Harris Teeter, Shop Rite, Walmart, Giant Eagle, Market Basket, Jewel, Meijer

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