After hoarding several cans of green chilies since gawd knows when, I finally decided that I had been silly long enough, and opened not one, but two of them. Trying to break myself of “saving the good stuff for absolutely no reason at all” is painfully hard.

I seriously need help.

Am I the only one that does this? I mean, it’s not like it’s the last of the green chiles on planet Earth.

Do you, too, save that last coveted can or jar of olives, specialty salsa – – from a gift basket last year, or those dried morel mushrooms that have now disintegrated from 1987? I hope I’m not alone on this!

So, it was time for a purge the pantry day, and make this simple,  flavorful dish of chicken so tender it melts in your mouth, smothered in a rich and creamy sauce! It could not have been more welcome on a dreary, cold and rainy day!

I think that you’re going to love this Creamy Green Chili and Sour Cream Chicken in the Pressure Cooker just as much as we did!

First, right off the bat, don’t be afraid of pressure cookers. They’re SIMPLE to use, and fantastic to quickly make tough, inexpensive cuts of meat spoon tender!

They also cook everything VERY quickly, making it perfect for busy days when you need to get supper on the table fast! If you want, you can probably try doing this in the crock pot, but you’d have to do it on Low for 8 hours.

Then, I’m not sure you could even thicken it in a crock pot, as the broth needs to be simmering. So, you’d then have to pour it into a pot to thicken it. Kinda silly, and defeating the whole idea of “quick and easy”, but slow-cooker methods seem to be all the rage right now.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, and aren’t planning on asking Santa for one, you might try doing this in a large dutch oven on the stovetop. After completing the first steps, I would cover it and slow-simmer for several hours until the chicken is super, super tender. That might be a better secondary route for you.

*Though I have an oldie pressure cooker with the gasket ring and regulator on top, they make new kinds now that are ridiculously easy to use, so to me, there’s no excuse not to give them a try!

I mean, just look at that chicken! Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? Just know, that this is not a dish you want to enjoy often, as it’s loaded with all the wonderful stuff we’re not supposed to have (flavorful fats from the chicken and sour cream!), and company-rich!

I make this, maybe, once every couple of years is all. (Though I could eat this once a week if there was a magic fat blocker!)

You can certainly use Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream, but you’ll need to use one like Fage that’s thick. But there will still be a fair amount of fat from the bone-in skin-on chicken and the soup. (*And I seriously do not recommend using boneless skinless pieces. It wouldn’t be the same dish at all. And that would be a very sad thing).

But there’s no reason why you can’t make this once in a blue moon! It’s truly wonderful!

I don’t want to someday be on my deathbed thinking,
Why didn’t I enjoy everything life has to offer?
I want to say, Wow! What a ride!!

Don’t you? 😉

Enjoy!!

Yield: 5 - 8 servings

Creamy Green Chile and Sour Cream Chicken in the Pressure Cooker

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Ingredients

• 2 Tbl. oil
• 10 bone in skin on chicken pieces seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, (leave skin on but remove any chunks of fat)
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 small onion, chopped largely
• 1 cup chicken bouillon, preferably Better Than Bouillon, (1 tsp. bouillon base mixed with 1 cup boiling water)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of chicken or celery soup
• 2 (4.5 oz.) cans green chiles (one if you'd like it mild)
• 1 tsp. more chicken Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (no water added)
• 1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning such as Slap Ya Mama
• 3 Tbl. cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbl. cold water
• 1 cup regular thick sour cream such as Daisy, or thick Greek yogurt such as Fage
• more salt and pepper to taste, I add a LOT (add by teaspoons - each - until it's where you like it and not bland, it shouldn't end up bland at all)
• fresh parsley to garnish if desired, whole leaves or finely chopped

Instructions

Add oil to pressure cooker, heat over medium heat until very hot but not smoking, swirl to coat bottom. Add a few pieces of seasoned chicken at a time, do not move. Let sear until they easily pull away from the bottom the pan, turn, and sear other side. Remove to a plate and repeat until all pieces are golden browned on each side. Set aside.

Turn down heat to Low, add onion and sauté for a minute or two, then add garlic. Stir and sauté one more minute.

Add bouillon to pot, scrape bottom of all yummy browned bits. Stir in creamed soup until mixed in and creamy. Stir in green chiles. Add bay leaf.

Dip meaty side of each chicken into sauce, then turn over and place into cooker. Repeat nestling all in. Place on lid, close cooker, and place regulator on top.

Heat over medium heat until regulator starts to rock, lower heat to a steady rock, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Let rest until vents drop and cooker has cooled enough to open.

When cool, open and remove chicken pieces to a plate. Whisk in bouillon base and cajun seasoning, and whisk mixture for several minutes until everything completely comes together and is slightly creamy, well blended, and not separated.

Bring to a simmer/low boil. Whisk in cornstarch slurry. Stir and simmer until thickened for 1 - 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream until very creamy and no tiny lumps remain. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Don't be shy with it!

Place chicken pieces onto serving plate, and ladle sauce over chicken. Reserve any leftover sauce and ladle over servings and side dishes if desired. Nice over rice or mashed potatoes, green beans or peas, and great for dipping roasted potatoes in, too! Enjoy!