Our RV is not necessarily the top choice of where I would want to create a new recipe BUT my kiddos begged me not to make chili again so my mind was racing on what besides my chili and roasted tomato soup that I could have for our cold weather trip. So like anyone I decide to turn to the internet for some inspiration and came across a few mentions of a jalapeño popper stew and thought I could do that as my family love jalapeño poppers!
The big thing was that I had to make it pretty easy and use some prepared items (like a cooked rotisserie chicken) since we are short on space and big appliances in the RV. But just because nothing everything was from scratch didn’t mean it would lack flavor. The soup was a hit and I will definitely be making it again.
Ingredients:
- 1 package bacon (no sugar added), cooked and crumbled
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 c.)
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 1/4 c.)
- 3-4 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped, plus sliced jalapeños for serving
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1″ pieces, room temperature
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
Directions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon, flipping occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove once crispy, and set aside.
- Into the bacon grease, add onion, bell pepper, chopped jalapeños, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened and starting to brown.
- Next stir in flour until it coats vegetables and forms a paste that starts to stick to bottom of pot. Then add the chicken stock slowly, making sure to stir as it’s added. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about one-quarter and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the salt, pepper and garlic powder to the soup. Stir well.
- Next shred the rotisserie chicken and add it along with the cream cheese to the pot. Cook for another 15 minute until cream cheese is melted and all the flavors have been incorporated.
- Serve in bowls and top with a little extra shredded cheese, jalapeño slices and crumbled bacon