Pressure-Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

School starts. I drove back to Des Moines for the first week — the kids need me for the transition, the adjustment, the September recalibration that requires breakfast burritos and packed lunches and a mother standing in the kitchen at three-fifteen. Noah starts ninth grade, first chair saxophone, hybrid learning. Emma starts seventh grade, student council treasurer again, organizing everything. Jack starts fourth grade and has already informed his teacher about the school garden's soil pH.

The toggle. Des Moines during the week. Grinnell on weekends. Two kitchens, two families, one woman trying to be enough for both. I packed Kevin's freezer before I left: chili, enchiladas, tater tot hotdish, meatloaf. Enough for the week. Reheating instructions on each container because Kevin doesn't read instructions but I write them anyway because writing the instructions is my way of being present when I'm absent, my handwriting on a sticky note saying "375 for 30 min" being the closest thing to me standing at the stove when I'm standing at a different stove forty miles away.

Jack turns nine on September fifteenth. The birthday will be pandemic-small, family-only, harvest-themed because Jack requested it. The cake will be carrot cake — his choice, because the carrots came from the garden. The gift from Grinnell has already arrived, boxed and waiting: Marlene's quilt. Farm blocks. Tractor patterns. Green and gold. The quilt she started a year ago, finished between chemo sessions, the stitches tight and even because Marlene's hands don't shake when she's making something for someone she loves, not yet, not while there's a quilt to finish and a boy to wrap in it.

I made chicken noodle soup for Mom's freezer before I left Grinnell. Four quarts. The soup of illness, the soup of care, the soup that says: I am not here but the soup is here and the soup is me and the me in the soup will keep you warm until I come back on Friday. Egg noodles. Marlene's recipe. The noodles absorb the broth differently — softer, more giving. Like the woman who chose them.

I made the chicken noodle soup for Mom’s freezer, but before I left Des Moines I also stocked Kevin’s — and this jalapeño popper chicken chili was the last thing I ladled into containers before I wrote the reheating instructions and taped them to the lids. It’s got that same quality as the noodle soup: warmth that doesn’t require explanation, heat that builds slowly, something creamy underneath that you don’t expect until it’s already comforting you. The pressure cooker means I can have it done and cooling on the counter in under an hour, which matters when you’re trying to stock two kitchens before a Monday morning school run.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (15 oz) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen corn
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (leave seeds for extra heat)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sliced jalapenos, sour cream, and extra cheddar for serving

Instructions

Layer the base. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, jalapenos, and green chiles on top of the chicken.
Add liquids and seasonings. Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir gently around the chicken without moving it off the bottom.
Add beans and corn. Scatter the cannellini beans, great northern beans, and frozen corn over the top. Do not stir.
Pressure cook. Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.
Shred the chicken. Open the lid and transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat, then return it to the pot.
Add cream cheese. Set the pressure cooker to the sauté function on low. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir continuously until it is fully melted and incorporated into the chili, about 3—4 minutes.
Finish with cheddar. Stir in the shredded cheddar until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn off the sauté function.
Serve or freeze. Ladle into bowls with desired toppings, or cool completely and transfer to freezer-safe containers. Label with reheating instructions (350°F covered for 25 min, or reheat on stovetop over medium-low, stirring often). Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pressure-Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili — The Soup That Shows Up When You Can’t