The day after Christmas…perfect day for a bowl of this Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tamale Chili.
And just like that it’s the day after Christmas. Hoping each and every one you had an amazing Christmas with your family. And for those of you who did not celebrate, I hope you had a relaxing day off! My family and I had one of the best Christmases yet. It finally snowed, really snowed! Which made for one of the best white Christmases ever. The day was filled with good food and even better company. I have so much to share, but I’m going to save all the details for another day, as I’m attempting to keep today’s post short and sweet in an effort to spend less time online, and more time with my family.
Every year for New Years, my family and I have always made a Mexican feast. This is something my late Aunt Katie started and we’ve carried on the tradition. Back when my cousins and I were kids, we’d spend the week after Christmas at our cabin in Ripley, New York. My Aunt Katie always used to bring tons of fresh tamales for New Years Eve and it was something everyone looked forward to each year. Here’s the thing, I’ve attempted to make homemade tamales before, and well, I don’t really have a desire to do it again. They are a lot of work, like a lot. Too much for me, and especially when feeding over seventeen people.
These days I stick to tamale inspired recipes (hello to this tamale pie), plenty of tacos (new recipe coming on Thursday!), and bowls of guacamole. This year’s recipe is all about easy slow cooker tamale chili (with stove top and instant pot directions too). If you guys like tamales, and you like chicken tortilla soup, then this is your kind of a chili. It’s basically a cross between those two recipes and it is DELICIOUS. I used my favorite Mexican spices, some chipotle in adobo, and my homemade enchilada sauce (recipe in my cookbook) to flavor the chili. To make the chili thicker, creamier, and to give it that true tamale taste, I used Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal. Guys, the cornmeal is what makes this chili. It adds that sweet corn flavor of Masa, which is used in traditional tamales. And then the toppings. You all know how I love my toppings, and I did them up for this chili with some cilantro, lime, mango, avocado, homemade tortilla chips, and crumbled goat cheese. So. Flippin’. GOOD. Trust me, this is your New Year’s recipe, or at least sometime in the next few weeks. Everyone you are serving to is going to love this recipe, and it’s the perfect warming chili to cozy up to after a day of playing in the snow.
Winter chili perfection. {This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
