Aldi Eats: Chicken Chili

Feeding a family of five adds up quickly.  That's why I love shopping at Aldi.  I can't get over the low prices and money I save! Maybe you've tried Aldi, but don't shop there consistently because of the limited selection.  That's where I hope the Aldi Eats series will help.  It features recipes I've tried using ingredients I purchased at Aldi. 

My parents and a good friend joined our family for a weeknight dinner last week. I served one my favorite go to meals for a crowd- a hearty soup/chili and salad. I used this recipe for Chicken chili as a starting point and made it my own. I set out to Aldi with my shopping list and improvised with frozen chicken tenderloins when they didn't have bone in chicken breasts. Here's what I bought for this meal:

Tortilla Chips
Guacamole (I've never been a fan of pre-made guacamole, but I -really- like Aldi's guac!)
Fresh cilantro (SO happy to see this at Aldi nowadays!)
Shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans diced tomatoes (I ended up using one)
Two packs of red, yellow, and red peppers
Frozen chicken tenderloins
Two bags of Ceasar Salad (Aldi's Ceasar salad is by far my FAVORITE salad kit out there!  The dressing is delicious!  I could eat it everyday, and it's only $1.99 a bag.)
(I had the seasoning, garlic, onions, sour cream, chicken bullion, and olive oil on hand)

All of this cost about $26.  Not too shabby to feed a small crowd!
 

To make this Chicken chili recipe by Ina Garten my own, I baked the frozen tenderloins drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with taco seasoning. While the chicken was baking, I cooked the chopped onions and minced garlic in olive oil and a little bit of butter in the pot for about 8-10 minutes. Then I added all 6 of the chopped peppers (that's a lot of veggie goodness!) for several more minutes. After the peppers were soft,  I added the seasoning, 1 can of tomatoes, along with about 4-5 cups of chicken broth. Next, I cut up the cooked chicken, added it to the pot along with a handful of chopped cilantro (I did not use basil as the original recipe calls for) and simmered. At that point, I season to taste. A splash of lime juice and hot sauce are also great additions to this chili! Top it with sour cream, guac, cilantro, crushed chips, and shredded cheddar cheese.  Mmmm... Now I'm hungry!

Here's the dinner spread:

The end result is colorful, tasty, and didn't break the bank.  Score!