Buffalo Chicken Chili and Cornbread with Hot Honey Butter

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible.

Buffalo chicken chili is incredibly flavorful and creamy. It's the dinner version of everyone's favorite buffalo chicken dip. It's a white chili, meaning it has white beans, fewer tomatoes, and white protein (in this case it's chicken). I used three types of beans because I like the variety, but you can use only one type or reduce the number of beans if you have issues digesting them.

The spiciness level of the chili is up to you. I used 1 cup of Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce because I like a lot of heat, but I suggest you start out with 1/4 cup, and you can always add more at the end if you want it spicier.

It's very important to wait to add the cream cheese until the end, and make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature and cut into cubes. It should easily melt into the chili. If you have issues with unmelted chunks of cream cheese in your chili, it's probably because it wasn't softened when you added it. Even though the chili has cream cheese in it, it’s totally fine to reheat it. Just be careful to heat it on low and do not let it boil.

I used Challenge cream cheese because Challenge prides itself on its fresh products and only uses real milk, cream, and natural ingredients for a pure, superior taste.

Make sure to check out my Ultimate Soup Guide for tips on making the most flavorful soups.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Yield: 4 quarts

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 12 ounces onion, small dice
• 6 ounces carrot, small dice
• 6 ounces celery, small dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds chicken breast
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, not drained
• 1/2 to 1 cup buffalo sauce (depending on spice level preference, I use 1 cup)
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, room temperature and cut into cubes
• Optional toppings: Blue cheese crumbles, green onions, tortilla chips

Directions for stovetop

1. Add oil to large pot or dutch oven, and turn to medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery to pot and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they soften.
2. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
3. Add chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to pot. Mix with mirepoix until combined.
4. Add chicken, chicken stock, cannellini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans, fire roasted tomatoes, and buffalo sauce to pot and stir.
5. Bring soup to boil and reduce to simmer. Continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. It should shred very easily.
7. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and blended in.
8. Serve soup in bowls with blue cheese and green onion.

Directions for Instant Pot

1. Add oil to Instant Pot and turn on sauté setting. Add onion, carrot, and celery to pot and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they soften.
2. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
3. Turn off saute setting and add chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to pot. Mix with mirepoix until combined.
4. Add chicken, chicken stock, cannellini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans, fire roasted tomatoes, and buffalo sauce to Instant Pot and stir.
5. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. After it is done, quick release the pressure.
6. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken. It should shred very easily.
7. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and blended in.
8. Serve soup in bowls with blue cheese and green onion.

Directions for slow cooker

1. On stovetop, heat oil in pan and sweat onion, carrot, and celery to pot and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they soften. Add garlic and saute 1 minute.
2. Transfer veggies to large slow cooker. Add chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to pot. Mix with mirepoix until combined.
3. Add chicken, chicken stock, cannellini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans, fire roasted tomatoes, and buffalo sauce to slow cooker and stir.
4. Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2.5 to 3 hours.
5. Open lid to slow cooker and shred chicken with 2 forks. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and blended in.
6. Serve soup in bowls with blue cheese and green onion.

Cornbread with hot honey butter

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients for the cornbread

• 1/2 cup unsalted Challenge butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the hot honey butter

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 Tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Challenge unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Directions for cornbread

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place butter in 8x8-inch baking dish and move to oven.
2. Cook until milk fat in butter browns, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. 
4. Stir in honey, brown sugar, and egg. Add buttermilk last.
5. Whisk in cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool

Directions for hot honey butter

1. Add all ingredients except butter to small saucepan on stove over medium heat.
2. Allow mixture to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, allow it to continue boiling for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Once cool, mix with softened butter.
5. Slice up cornbread and serve it with hot honey butter. Store leftover butter in refrigerator.