Day 339: Fiesta Chicken Chowder

I made this soup for dinner last night.  I came together quickly which is great because its been chaos at our house lately.  I adapted this recipe from a Taste of Home magazine.

Fiesta Chicken Chowder
12" dutch oven

3 Tbs. flour
1 envelope fajita seasoning, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 oz.) can rotel, undrained
1 (11 oz.) can mexicorn, drained
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 (11 oz.) can nacho cheese soup
3 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. lime juice

In a large resealable bag, combine the flour and 2 Tbs. fajita seasoning.  Add the chicken and shake well to coat.  In a 12" dutch oven over a full spread of coals, saute the chicken in oil until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.  In the same pot, saute onion and garlic until the onion is tender.  Stir in the water, beans, tomatoes, corn, rice and remaining seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and move about 1/4 of the coals to the lid of the dutch oven and simmer until rice is tender.  Stir in the soup, cilantro, lime juice and chicken.  Heat thoroughly.  Serves about 10.

The Finished Product

The Review

I wasn't sure what to expect from this soup when I started making it.  But I know I didn't expect it to be as good as it was, especially considering it has canned soup in it.  It is spicy and cheesy and yummy.  Even my kids ate it and liked it.  It wasn't overly spicy which was great for my little ones.  I'll make this again.  Grade B+.