Firey Chicken Chili

Source: Land O' Lakes

2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
1 (20-ounce) package boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans with jalapeños*
2 (11-ounce) cans white shoepeg corn
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Garnish:
Finely chopped red bell pepper, if desired
Fresh lime wedges, if desired

Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan until sizzling; add chicken, onion, cumin, lemon pepper, oregano and garlic salt; cook over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink (6 to 8 minutes). Add chicken broth, pinto beans, shoepeg corn, chipotle chilis and bay leaves. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil (8 to 10 minutes). Reduce heat to low; cook, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Just before serving, remove bay leaves; stir in lime juice, sugar and cilantro.

To serve, top each serving with chopped red pepper and lime wedges, if desired.

*Substitute 2 cans pinto beans and 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilis.

TIP: The definition of chili varies depending upon who you ask. Some would say beans are absolutely necessary, while others wouldn't think of adding beans to their chili. Other debates rage over ground beef versus cubed beef, or whether to use beef at all. Another area that is "hotly" debated is what kind of chili pepper goes into the chili: ancho, New Mexico, chipotle and serrano are some of the varieties favored by "chiliheads".

Yield: 8 (1 1/4-cup) servings