Happy Thanksgiving and in case you're tired of turkey.....

Green chili chicken  (Made with Chilis from Hatch New Mexico)

This is an adaptation of what I used to make for my boys.  It was called King Ranch chicken then and has since been changed into a dip. ( It can easily become the Ranch chicken again by layering the ingredients on top of layers of crushed tortilla chips, and topped with an extra layer of shedded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and serve warm).  The adaptation is meant to be a very hearty dip.  (serves 20)  Garnish with jalapeno slices.  

1 pound of chopped white chicken meat  (also left over turkey will work well)

6 Hatch chilis, preferably fresh

1 teaspoon of creole spices blended

1 teaspoon of grape seed oil 

½ cup of chopped green onions

3 large cloves of garlic grilled and chopped

½ cup of grated Monterey jack cheese

½ cup of feta

1 package of cream cheese

Chop off the tops of the chilis and boil the chilis in a pot of water for about 25 minutes. ( Depending on how hot the chilis are, you may wish to reserve the water to use in later dishes.  It will last for about a week.) 

While the chilis are cooking, put the chicken in a large skillet, coated with the grape seed oil, with the green onions and garlic and sauté the mixture until done.  

When the chicken mixture is cooked, run it through a food processor until well chopped. Chop the cooled green chilis and add to the chicken mixture…   Add the cream cheese and blend well.    Remove from the food processor and add the feta cheese and the Monterey jack cheese.  Stir it well and then add the Cajun spice mixture.  You can also add ½ cup of sour cream if you want that consistency…  It depends on how you plan to use the mixture.

(From the “Hotard Legacy Cookbook”  A tribute to 150 years of cooking Louisiana style… currently under construction.)