Crockpot Italian Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Chili.

{Today I am partnering with Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe to bring you this hearty Crockpot Italian Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Chili. I am so excited to be using their delicious Broccoli Rabe in this recipe!}

Have I mentioned how excited I am that it’s soup season? This Crockpot Italian Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Chili is so easy (ummm helloooo crockpot!) and has sooo much flavor!

I wish I was able to hit a magical pause button so that I could have a good 2-3 extra months of this amazing fall and holiday season. I know things are about to start getting really crazy, but I don’t care, I still love it!

I can honestly feel the excitement in the air and I am PUMPED.

But like I said, things are about to start to get crazy, and that means we all need some go-to meals that are healthy and easy to prepare. I mean, I know that Halloween candy is delicious and all, but let’s be real, we can’t live solely on candy. Besides, you all know how much I love my veggies. No I promise, I really, really LOVE veggies. I think I’ve said this before, but did you know that literally every night I have a big bowl of roasted veggies with dinner, like every stinkin night!

No joke.

This’s partly because I am a semi repetitive person with almost everything I do, but mostly because I adore roasted veggies. My current favorites are butternut + acorn squash, pumpkin (duh), brussels sprouts and broccoli… and/or BROCCOLI RABE!

So you see, I don’t just live on sugar, carbs, chocolate, cheese and butter. I mean, I mostly do….but that doesn’t mean I don’t love my vegetables!

Sooo, I made us a hearty, but healthy chili, full of one of my favorite autumn veggies, broccoli rabe. This chili is the perfect dinner to warm up to on a cold autumn night, and it couldn’t be simpler. Just throw everything into the crockpot, turn it on, walk away for six or so hours and come home to a house smelling like your Italian grandma’s…or maybe what you would imagine your Italian grandma’s house would smell like… if you had an Italian grandma.

Loaded with lean chicken, cannellini beans, tomatoes and broccoli rabe this bowl of chili is about as healthy and wholesome as it gets… but it doesn’t feel that way.

Just serve this chili with a side of crusty bread and plenty of freshly grated parmesan. You’ll have yourself a complete meal with NO complaining, and all tummies happy!

Yeah!!

Another way to serve this chili is over a bed of buttery polenta, it’s pretty amazing. Or you could also boil some pasta and go that route too. Personally, my favorite is to serve the chili over polenta alongside garlic bread for soaking up any extra sauce.

I really could not think of a better Sunday night dinner!

FUN FACT: Did you know that Sunday night dinners are my absolute favorite in the fall. Something about them makes me feel so happy inside. When I was a kid, Sunday night was the one night of the week my parents really tried to get it together and have a nice family dinner. They would either make Chicken Noodle Casserole, Pot Roast, Chili, London Broil, Chicken + Rice or a Roasted Chicken. Simple meals, but ones that the whole family would actually sit down at the table, eat and really talk to each other… and we’d even eat at a decent hour (which meant somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30). My oldest brother Creighton would come home (this was after he had moved out and was in college) and we’d all just eat and be together. The kitchen would be warm from the oven, due to mom baking bread or cookies, and all us kids would come rushing in for dinner. It was nothing fancy, and it was always a bit chaotic, but I still loved it.

Thinking about it now though, the fact that I liked Sunday night dinners is SO odd, because at the same time, I also HATED Sundays with a passion. Knowing that it was back to school the next morning was overwhelming for me. Friday and Saturday where my favorites… Sunday + Monday, not so much! Ugh, SO happy I am outta school.

NEW GOAL: Bring back Sunday night dinners this fall. If not every Sunday night, at least every few weeks. You guys too! Let’s do it? Mmm, K???

We can all start with this easy broccoli rabe chili, sound good?

Awesome, let’s do this!

Crockpot Italian Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Chili.

3.83 from 397 votes

8 Servings

by Tieghan Gerard

calories 202kcal

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Prep10 minutes mins

Cook6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

This Crockpot Italian Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Chili is so easy (ummm helloooo crockpot!) and has sooo much flavor!

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• ▢ 1 small sweet onion, diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ▢ ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 dried bay leaf
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt + pepper, or to taste
• ▢ 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• ▢ 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed + roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, sliced,
• ▢ 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained + rinsed
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• ▢ ½ cup chopped parsley, plus more for serving

Instructions 

• In the bowl of a 6-8 quart crockpot pot, add the chicken, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, paprika, thyme, allspice, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Next add the tomato paste, chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Give everything a gentle stir to combine. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or 4-6 hours on high) stirring once or twice if possible.
• During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir the broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers and cannellini beans together in a bowl and add to the crockpot. Crank the heat up to high, cover and let cook 20-30 minutes longer.
• Lightly shred the chicken with two forks, it should just fall apart. Stir in the parmesan and parsley.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with parmesan + crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

*If you prefer, you may add the broccoli rabe in the beginning of the cooking, but just know it will be cooked down a bit more. It’s still delicious this way, it just has a little less firmness to it. **You can also serve the chili over polenta or pasta for an extra hearty meal

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 1142mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1845IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 3.1mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.

But really, whatever you do, don’t forget to add the cheese + a carb to this chili. It’s Sunday and they really are a MUST!